May 18, 2026
— Jeff Ward, Lehigh Valley News Briefs
The four-way primary to pick the Democrats’ nominee for U.S. Congress in Pennsylvania’s 7th District reminds me of something comedian Will Rogers said more than 90 years ago:
“I am not a member of any organized political party — I am a Democrat.”
The race is a jumble. Outsiders are taking sides and tossing money in. Each campaign flyer has to be scrutinized to figure out who’s sending it. Most probably go right into the recycling bin.
Experienced and well-funded first-term incumbent Republican Ryan Mackenzie and outside groups that support him will be going after the nominee for almost six months straight.
Send up a wounded duck of a candidate and it could get ugly. National polls favor Democrats now but a lot can happen by November, and Lehigh Valley congressional incumbents tend to keep winning.
Those who’ve represented the region over the years and changes in district boundaries include Susan Wild, Charlie Dent, Pat Toomey, Paul McHale, Don Ritter, the late Fred Rooney and the late Francis Walter. They all won multiple terms. The combined service of the seven covers 92 years, from 1933 to 2025. The only one I never met or spoke with was Walter, but I have been to the dam named for him. That will have to do.
Here are the four Democrats who want a chance against Mackenzie, with links to their campaign websites:
Lamont McClure, former Northampton County Executive, former County Councilman, and an attorney.
Carol Obando-Derstine, who has worked for Head Start, former U.S. Sen. Bob Casey and PPL, among other roles.
Ryan Crosswell, a U.S. Marine and former federal prosecutor.
Bob Brooks, a retired Bethlehem firefighter and president of the Pennsylvania Firefighters Association.
The only one of the four who has held public office is McClure, with two terms as County Executive. He served earlier on County Council. He has a record: keeping taxes down, guiding half-billion-dollar budgets and directing a staff of about 2,000.
As the only person with a record as an elected official, he’s also subject to attacks. Some of them focus on Gracedale, the county nursing home. The home has problems but it remains open to the elderly and infirm.
McClure has been through a lot of campaigns and he knows Lehigh Valley people and issues. He has the endorsement of many local officials, including Easton Mayor Sal Panto, former Bethlehem Mayor Robert Donchez and Bethlehem City Council President Rachel Leon.
McClure is the only one of the four candidates I’ve met, and I can say this much: I wouldn’t want to be in a debate with him.
Obando-Derstine is the only woman in the race, and she immigrated from Colombia at age 3. That will appeal to some voters, while others will say she’s playing identity politics. Those lines were drawn long ago.
She is also the chosen candidate of former U.S. Rep. Wild. Again, that might help with some but it’s not going to carry this race. Obando-Derstine has a lot of experience in different fields, but I think her campaign didn’t play that up as much as the identity stuff.
Also, she announced her candidacy more than a year ago with this crude statement: “I’m pissed.”
I can’t imagine a worse way to introduce oneself to the electorate. I hope to see one, someday, but I doubt it.
Crosswell has a great resume, with military service and experience in the federal government. There may be an issue with voter enthusiasm, though. He was a Republican for years, he switched to run, and he is from Pottsville. Crosswell lives in the district now.
Crosswell quit his job as federal prosecutor in February 2025, citing the Trump administration’s decision not to pursue corruption charges against then-New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
So he was a Republican who switched parties not long ago and he’s not from the Lehigh Valley. Opponents didn’t make hay out of that much in the primary, but if he’s the nominee, whoa. Nothing against Pottsville, mind you; I have relatives from the coal town and the book about the Pottsville Maroons and the stolen 1925 NFL title is on my bookshelf.
Brooks, the retired firefighter and now union president, has promoted populist ideas from the right in old social media posts reported on by The Washington Post, and now his campaign website touts some populist ideas from the left, such as lowering housing costs, higher taxes on rich people and ending gun violence.
Nice goals, but that’s more of a wish list than a plan. To be fair, that could be said about most campaigns.
Brooks also promotes stronger unions and a secure border, and he plays up his working-class roots. He has been dogged by a civil suit about real estate, and I was disappointed to see he was the only candidate who didn’t agree to meet with a Lehigh Valley Public Media reporter.
If you can’t deal with a reporter, how can you face off with a party whip demanding a vote? I was a reporter for years, and this issue is a big one for me. Candidates are busy, but an interview doesn’t take long.
Those are the four. No matter who wins, they’re going to get hammered from Wednesday through Nov. 3. That’s 168 days, 24 weeks, close to six months.
Meanwhile, we residents will see attack ad after attack ad, hard-to-trace mailer after hard-to-trace mailer, courtesy of both parties.
The candidate winning and their allies will be slamming back at Mackenzie, but he’s been through this before. The only Democrat in the race who has been through that is McClure.
The Democrat primary was a mostly staid affair. The November general election is going to be ugly on both sides. It will be a “no quarter” fight.
As for the four candidates, Democrats have real choices. We will see if the choice the party makes is up to the challenge.
The polls open at 7 a.m. Tuesday, and close at 8 p.m., usually.
Lehigh Valley News Briefs 