Bob Brooks, the head of the Pennsylvania Professional Firefighters’ Association, is projected to win a Democratic primary in a key swing district on Tuesday night, defying a Republican-linked attempt to boost one of his opponents.
Brooks has become one of the highest-profile Democratic recruits of the cycle, attracting the endorsement of House Democratic leaders, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D), former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). He also has the backing of two groups on the opposite ends of the Democratic Party’s ideological spectrum: the moderate Blue Dog Coalition and the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
He will face first-term GOP Rep. Ryan McKenzie in November in the 7th District, which is centered around Allentown and the rest of the Lehigh Valley. The seat is considered a top target for Democrats in November.
Brooks defeated former federal prosecutor Ryan Crosswell and former Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure to secure the nomination.
Crosswell, who gained national attention after he resigned from the Justice Department rather than sign off on a crooked deal involving former New York City Mayor Eric Adams, mounted a serious campaign.
McClure, however, struggled to raise money and benefited mostly from spending by Lead Left PAC, a GOP-linked PAC that spent $1.7 million to elevate him so Republicans would face a weaker opponent in the general election.
The same group played a role in helping Denise Powell secure the Democratic nomination in Nebraska’s 2nd District earlier this month, and is trying to lift an antisemitic sex therapist in a Democratic primary in South Texas.