BETHLEHEM, Pa. \u2014 The Lehigh Valley’s Democratic primary featured four candidates with different strengths and weaknesses, political hopefuls who tried to appeal to different demographics within Pennsylvania’s battleground 7th Congressional District.<\/p>\n
Such races often turn into who can better marshal supporters and realize the best turnout. <\/p>\n
Entering the primary, Lamont McClure claimed his time as an elected official in Northampton County gave him strong support there. <\/p>\n
Carol Obando-Derstine, the only Latina in the race, said the region’s growing Hispanic communities would rally to her. <\/p>\n
Ryan Crosswell, a Marine and former federal prosecutor, looked for backing from veterans and voters with higher levels of education.<\/p>\n
Instead, the race was dominated by firefighter union boss Bob Brooks<\/a> on nearly every front. <\/p>\n While Obando-Derstine did carry some neighborhoods in Center City Allentown and Crosswell performed well in some wealthy suburban precincts, Brooks won nearly everywhere \u2014 and by convincing spreads. <\/p>\n Crosswell, who appears to have finished in second place with 14,576 votes, could add all of Obando-Derstine’s 12,136 votes to his tally and still lose to Brooks by a 2-percentage-point margin.<\/p>\n Unofficial results show Brooks swept every municipality in Lehigh County and the small sliver of Monroe County. <\/p>\n While each candidate carried a municipality in Carbon County, the overall effect was the same. Brooks won there with 38% of the vote, the same as in Lehigh and Monroe counties.<\/p>\n Brooks did even better in Northampton County, securing 43% of the overall vote, according to the state website. He nearly swept every municipality there, too, dropping East Bangor to McClure by one vote.<\/p>\n Jenna Kaufmann, Brooks’ campaign manager, attributed Brooks’s success to his message. The retired city firefighter campaigned on his blue-collar roots and said the district needed an everyman to stand up for the working class in Washington.<\/p>\n “That message resonated in every corner of the district from Lehigh County to Northampton County to Carbon, and it’s why Bob won decisively,” Kauffmann said in an email Friday.<\/p>\n Money and endorsements<\/p>\n But while Brooks’ assorted resume of fighting for workers’ rights, bartending and driving snowplows may have resonated with Lehigh Valley voters, the financial might behind Brooks let his message reach voters across the district. <\/p>\n Brooks’ campaign finance report filed in early May shows he spent $919,215 through April 29 \u2014 just as paid TV spots kicked into high gear. <\/p>\n Only the Crosswell campaign surpassed his spending, with $1.3 million through the same time period.<\/p>\n But many of Brooks’s allies pumped money into the PA-7 race on his behalf.<\/p>\n