Don’t be overconfident about election legitimacy

I appreciate Justin Levitt’s commentary stating that election chaos is unlikely. I hope he’s right. Unfortunately, I believe he is overly confident.

The controls he mentioned are nice but they haven’t faced a president so committed to holding on to power. The one word that I repeatedly hear regarding Donald Trump is “unprecedented.” Space does not allow me to list all of the things Trump has done that no one ever imagined a US president would do but let’s consider a few:

• No president or his proxies ever tried to violently prevent the transfer of executive power until Jan. 6, 2021.

• No president ever authorized the execution of purported drug smugglers with no due process and without offering evidence.

• No president has ever used immigration officials and agents in the way Trump has.

Presidents have abused their power before but we have never had a president display such disregard for norms, laws and basic decency. His attacks on universities, the media, courts, his political opponents, or facts and truth in general are indeed unprecedented. My advice to Mr. Levitt and others is to never underestimate the lengths Trump will go to retain his power.

— Mark Thomas, Hanover Township, Lehigh County

Where is Mackenzie’s outrage at Trump’s corruption?

Ryan Mackenzie’s recent campaign ad accuses Bob Brooks of failing to carry legally required workers’ compensation insurance. Bob Brooks has denied the allegations and has stated that they are defamatory. What I find interesting is the selectivity of Mackenzie’s outrage.

I read his newsletters but have not seen any concern about the corruption and self-dealing that have allowed Donald Trump to pocket at least $1 billion, and more likely $2 billion or more, during his second term. There is the $400 million plane from the Qatari royal family, the pardons to individuals convicted of fraud schemes after they have made major purchases of Trump-branded cryptocurrency, the multimillion-dollar donations from tech billionaires whose businesses depend heavily on federal regulatory decisions, the payment for son Donald Jr.’s wedding party by a Russian oligarch, and more examples that are too numerous to list.

Ryan Mackenzie has had more than enough time to express outrage against real corruption that if it is not illegal, should be. He has not.

— Clark Chandler, Upper Saucon Township

Mackenzie shows up, but Brooks is hiding

If the differences between the candidates for Congress weren’t clear before, they got a whole lot clearer last week when Bob Brooks pulled out of the debate.

When you’re running for office, the least you can do is show up. Apparently, Brooks couldn’t be bothered. By skipping out on the only debate that he had agreed to, Brooks is sending a clear message to voters that we shouldn’t count on him. Message received.

While Brooks feels like he can coast to victory without facing the voters, Ryan Mackenzie has been working hard for our communities. He helped to bring home more than $160 million to our region, and he’s followed through on his promises to cut taxes, secure the border and reach across the aisle.

For voters in the Lehigh Valley, this all adds up to a pretty clear choice: One candidate is showing up for us, the other one is hiding from us.

— Ann Marie Slavick, Lower Saucon Township

Lehigh Valley deserves better options in election

I am a steadfast Democrat, staunchly opposed to Donald Trump’s agenda. Recently I voted for Democratic congressional candidate Bob Brooks via mail-in ballot, but I did so only reluctantly. This is because I am really disappointed that he ducked out of the one and only TV debate, leaving me with the feeling he must have something to hide. Other friends I’ve spoken with have expressed similar feelings. I’m no fan of self-serving Republican candidate Ryan Mackenzie either. I just wish that voters had better choices.

— Richard A. Morrison, Bethlehem Township

Lack of congressional debate is a big loss for Valley

For as long as I can remember, voters in the Lehigh Valley have had the chance to see the candidates for Congress debate.

From the time she first campaigned in 2018 to the time she left office in 2024, Susan Wild debated and defended her record in every election. Bob Brooks is breaking that tradition.

Doing debates has been the norm in our area for several cycles now. They helped give us the chance to hear directly from the candidates on the leading issues. These debates also gave us the chance to see how candidates responded under pressure. Now voters won’t get that chance.

I don’t know why Bob Brooks pulled out of a debate at the last second, and I don’t know why he pushed it back so far in the first place. What I do know is that we the voters will be less informed as a result. That’s a big loss for our communities.

— Paula Douris, North Whitehall Township

Election letters

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