Lehigh Valley voters on Tuesday chose Bob Brooks, former Bethlehem firefighter and union leader who has touted his working class roots and promised to make life more affordable if elected, to challenge Rep. Ryan Mackenzie in the November general election.<\/p>\n
With nearly 60% of votes counted, the AP called the Democratic primary in Brooks\u2019 favor shortly before 10 p.m. With 41% of the vote, he had a sizeable lead over the three other Democrats in the race, former PPL engineer Carol Obando-Derstine, former federal prosecutor and Marine veteran Ryan Crosswell and former Northampton County Executive Lamont G. McClure.<\/p>\n
Brooks greeted supporters at a packed election night event at Artisan Wine and Cheese in Bethlehem Tuesday night after the race was called in his favor.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis win belongs to every worker who\u2019s watched politicians from both parties make promises and let us down,\u201d Brooks said. \u201cIt belongs to every family stretching a paycheck further than it can go. Anyone who has every chosen between paying the medical bills and paying their mortgage. Who is struggling to fill up their trucks at the gas pumps, and the people of this community are asking for something different.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Lehigh Valley-based 7th Congressional District is considered to be one of the most competitive districts in the country, and one of the few that will determine which party controls the House of Representatives in November.<\/p>\n
Brooks emerged as a frontrunner among powerful Democrats in the race, drawing endorsements from Gov. Josh Shapiro, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the official campaign arm of the party. According to an April poll<\/a>, Brooks was favored to win the primary, although more than a third of voters polled remained undecided.<\/p>\n His election night watch party was packed with over 60 supporters, many of whom wore union-related garb like SEIU and IAFF T-shirts. Among the crowd of Brooks backers was Allentown firefighters union president Jeremy Warmkessel, Bethlehem firefighters union president Lou Jimenez, SEIU state council President Matt Yarnell, Pennsylvania Congressman Chris Deluzio, D-17 \u2014 an early backer of Brooks\u2019 campaign \u2014 and Brooks\u2019 mother, Deb Jones.<\/p>\n Brooks has drawn frequently on his working class upbringing on the campaign trial \u2014 Jones raised him as a single mom who bartended to make ends meet, according to his campaign website. She spoke through tears as she celebrated her son\u2019s victory on Tuesday.<\/p>\n \u201cWe need someone like him in Washington,\u201d Jones said. \u201cNot just because he\u2019s my kid. Because he\u2019s the right person.\u201d<\/p>\n Brooks contrasted his economic background with that of his opponent Mackenzie, who he called a \u201ccareer politician\u201d out of touch with the Lehigh Valley\u2019s working people.<\/p>\n \u201cHe has worked in Harrisburg, and he is working on Congress. He has never had a job outside politics, not a day in his life,\u201d Brooks, who had earlier touted his own many jobs including bartender, dishwasher, and snowplow driver, said of Mackenzie.<\/p>\n Mackenzie\u2019s campaign was quick to fire back, indicating just how contentious the November race is likely to be; in a news release, Mackenzie campaign spokesperson Arnaud Armstrong called Brooks a \u201ccon-man\u201d who was hand selected by the Democratic Party to run.<\/p>\n \u201cThe establishment Democrat machine has done this for one reason: They know that Bob Brooks will follow orders from his political bosses, just like he did as a union boss. The people of the Lehigh Valley and the Poconos will reject this dumpster fire of a candidate,\u201d Armstrong said.<\/p>\n