ALLENTOWN, Pa. — It may be a municipal election cycle, but the National Republican Congressional Committee is preparing an attack ad ahead of what should be another bruising congressional race in the Lehigh Valley.
The political organization, which works to elect conservatives to the U.S. House, will unveil a billboard Monday near U.S. Rep. Susan Wild's Allentown office, criticizing her vote over a Washington D.C. crime bill.
- A Republican National Congressional Committee billboard will attack Rep. Susan Wild's opposition to a resolution that prevented Washington D.C. from reducing sentences for some crimes
- Wild opposed the resolution, saying Congress should not interfere in Washington D.C.'s local government
- Republicans will once again target the Lehigh Valley's congressional district in the 2024 election cycle
In February, the three-term Democrat and most other House Democrats voted against a resolution that overturned a city law reducing sentences for some crimes in the nation's capitol.
The ad, which goes up Monday, show's Wild's head against a backdrop of police crime tape. "Susan Wild voted for reduced sentences for violent crimes," it reads. "Meanwhile, Allentown's burglary and assault skyrocketed."
'Too extreme'
In a statement, NRCC spokesman Chris Gustafson said, “Crime is surging in Pennsylvania and Susan Wild doesn’t care. By voting to support reduced sentences for violent crimes, Wild is too extreme for Joe Biden and Bob Casey.”
Republicans have been banging the drum on crime rates across the country for more than a year, blaming Democrats in talking points and ads for a surge in crimes rates in major cities across the country.
Washington has been no exception; recent high-profile incidents include the stabbing of a Senate staffer last week and an assault on U.S. Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., in February. Authorities do not believe either incident was politically motivated.
But Wild said her vote was based on her support for the separation of powers and not criminal justice.
'Elected to focus on regional issues'
While Congress is tasked with passing federal laws, it has a unique role in Washington D.C.'s local government, too. The city is primarily governed by a city council and mayor, but Congress can block any law that local officials pass.
In November, the Washington, D.C., City Council passed a law that overhauled the city's criminal code. The law, which was in the works for more than a decade, would have reduced sentences for some crimes, including armed carjackings.
It had been decades since Congress threw out a D.C. law, but the resolution to override the D.C. law drew bipartisan support.
About 30 Democrats signed the bill in the House, and President Joe Biden signaled his support. The Senate vote drew broad bipartisan support, including a yes vote from Pennsylvania Democrat Bob Casey.
"I voted 'no' on the bill because I don't believe we should be telling states and local municipalities what they should do."U.S. Rep. Susan Wild
"I voted 'no' on the bill because I don't believe we should be telling states and local municipalities what they should do," Wild said in a statement.
"The people of PA-7 elected me to focus on our regional issues, not other states' issues. The people who make the laws in DC are answerable to their voters, just as I am to mine."
The billboard comes about three weeks after Republicans identified Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District as among 37 seats they will try to flip in the 2024 election cycle.
The list also included two other highly competitive Pennsylvania districts — PA-8, the northeast PA seat held by Rep. Matt Cartwright, and PA-17, a district in the Pittsburgh suburbs held by freshman Rep. Chris Diluzio.
District 7, which includes all of Carbon, Lehigh and Northampton counties plus a sliver of Monroe County, is among the most competitive congressional seats in the nation.
Many political observers, including the Cook Report and 538.com, believe the district slightly favors Republicans, but Wild pulled out a 2-percentage-point victory over challenger Lisa Scheller last year.
