Democrat Bob Brooks defeats U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie

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(The Center Square) – Bob Brooks, a firefighters’ union leader, has bested U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie in the closely watched race for Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District. 

The Associated Press called the race in Brooks favor by 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday night with 76% of the vote counted. As of 10:50 p.m., Brooks led Mackenzie by 14 percentage points. 

“Bob Brooks knows what a hard day’s work looks like, and he knows what it means to serve his community – that’s why he’s going to Congress,” DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene said. “After 20 years putting out fires in the city of Bethlehem, 30 years coaching youth baseball, and a lifetime of hard work, the voters of the Lehigh Valley put their trust in Bob because they know he will fight for them. Bob is going to help put out the fire in Washington D.C. and build something better from the ashes.”

Brooks, president of the Pennsylvania Professional Fire Fighters Association, formally launched his bid for the seat in August 2025. While Mackenzie was unopposed for the Republican Party primary, Brooks defeated three other Democrats to earn his party’s nomination. 

Prior to the primary election, Brooks touted endorsements from a range of officials in the Democratic Party including Gov. Josh Shapiro, multiple senators, including U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Working Families Party, Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk, and more.

Following the primary, Democrats and unions coalesced behind Brooks. Mackenzie had the support in his bid for a second term from President Donald Trump, various Republican elected officials across Pennsylvania, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Despite Trump’s approval rating lagging in Pennsylvania, Mackenzie was in attendance for Trump’s May appearance in his district and also took the stage in Texas in September for the Republican Party’s midterm convention, which was dubbed “Trumpapalooza” by Republican National Committee Chairman Joe Gruters. Shapiro and other Democrats campaigned on behalf of Brooks in the final months of the campaign. 

During Mackenzie’s successful bid for Congress in 2024, turning the Lehigh Valley-based seat from blue to red, he defeated incumbent Democratic U.S. Rep. Susan Wild by roughly 4,000 votes.

Although the race was expected to be close in 2026, polling and national pundits showed the contest favoring Brooks towards the finish. 

In October, The Cook Political Report and Sabato’s Crystal Ball changed their respective ratings for the race from Toss-up to Leans Democratic. Inside Elections also previously described it as a Toss-up, but shifted it to Tilt Democratic.

On Sept. 30, Roll Call released its list of the 10 most vulnerable House members and placed Mackenzie seventh. He was the only Pennsylvania incumbent on this list. Also on Sept. 30, Punchbowl News reported that the race for Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District was one of a few that “nearly every senior Republican and Democrat” believes is an “R seat that is all but lost.”

It’s shaping up to be a good night for Democrats in the Keystone State. 

In addition to Brooks’ victory in Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District, Shapiro cruised to a second term as governor. 

The Associated Press also reported on Tuesday night that Democrats Paige Cognetti and Janelle Stelson defeated GOP U.S. Reps. Rob Bresnahan and Scott Perry for Pennsylvania’s 8th and 10th Congressional Districts.