April 28, 2026
— Jeff Ward, Lehigh Valley News Briefs
The Democrat Party’s race for the nomination to take on incumbent Republican Ryan Mackenzie in the Lehigh Valley has been pretty tame. Maybe that’s starting to change.
Lamont McClure, the only candidate of the four Democrats who has run for and won elected office, took a restrained shot at rival Bob Brooks today. Part of the post, above, uses Brooks’ own words against him.
McClure is a former Northampton County Executive and County Councilman. Brooks is a retired firefighter and a union leader. He has vowed to fight for working families.
McClure’s post compares Brooks to U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, a Democrat who has been criticized by some for supporting President Donald Trump at times.
The four candidates trying to take on Mackenzie, who has no primary challenger, have been polite to each other so far but with the primary election coming up fast on May 19, that may change.
An avid political pundit told me McClure also addressed this issue with Brooks during a debate.
I’ve been covering or following Lehigh Valley elections since the 1980s, and they tend to come down to the “Four Es”: experience, electability, enthusiasm and endorsements.
The other candidates in the primary election are Ryan Crosswell, a U.S. Marine and former federal prosecutor. Crosswell switched parties to run, and he is a native of Pottsville who only recently moved to the Lehigh Valley. I have family ties to Pottsville, so I have no issue with his origin, but he is a newcomer to the district.
Also running is Carol Obando-Derstine, the only woman in the race. She is an immigrant from Colombia who worked for non-profit groups and PPL Corp. Susan Wild, who lost to Mackenzie in 2024, supports Obando-Derstine. That will help with some people but not with others.
Time is running short. Whoever wins the primary will face Mackenzie, an experienced, well-funded politician who will have national support in the swing district.
Pennsylvania’s 7th District includes Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon counties, and part of Monroe County.
Lehigh Valley News Briefs 