House Speaker Mike Johnson swung through the Lehigh Valley on Wednesday to stump for GOP Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, who faces a difficult battle for re-election.
According to a news release, Johnson and Mackenzie visited the Upper Saucon Volunteer Fire Department to tour the facility.
Mackenzie, elected in 2024 after narrowly ousting Democratic Rep. Susan Wild, faces a challenge from former Bethlehem firefighter Bob Brooks, the Democratic nominee. Pennsylvania’s 7th District includes all of Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon counties, and a part of western Monroe County.
The district is considered a “toss-up” by Cook Political Report, meaning the race is expected to be extraordinarily close and one of the few that will determine party control of the U.S. House of Representatives next year.
Johnson has made several trips to the Lehigh Valley in the past to campaign for Mackenzie. In 2024 Johnson headlined a “Get out the Vote” meet and greet in Bethlehem just a week before the November election. He also visited the district alongside Mackenzie for a campaign-focused visit to Cetronia Ambulance Corps in May 2024, and in early October 2024 for a rally at the Steel Country Club in Lower Saucon Township.
Johnson also attended a private fundraiser with Mackenzie in April this year. Tickets ranged from $500 to $10,000 for a sponsorship slot, according an event flyer.
Johnson, who represents Louisiana’s 4th District in Congress, was elected House speaker in 2023 after Republicans ousted Kevin McCarthy from the post. Johnson was re-elected to a full term leading House Republicans in 2025.