BETHLEHEM, Pa. — The Lehigh Valley's battleground congressional district appears set for a four-way Democratic primary race this May.
Pennsylvania's Department of State website shows Bob Brooks, Ryan Crosswell, Lamont McClure and Carol Obando-Derstine filed the necessary paperwork to appear as candidates for the 7th Congressional District on the May 19 Democratic primary ballot.
The winner of the race is expected to take on Republican incumbent Ryan Mackenzie.
Mackenzie, a first-term lawmaker and former state representative, was the only candidate to file a petition for the Republican nomination by Tuesday's deadline.
Aiden Gonzalez and Lewis Shupe previously announced their intentions to seek the Democratic nomination. However, neither candidate appears to have filed petitions with the state.
Candidates needed to collect 1,000 signatures from registered Democrats living in the district to appear on the ballot.
A seventh Democrat, Lehigh County Controller Mark Pinsley, dropped out of the race in mid-February. He instead is running in a crowded Democratic primary for Pennsylvania's 16th state Senate District.
The remaining four candidate have been the most successful fundraisers, and each brings his or her own strengths to the contest.
McClure
McClure, a former Northampton County executive, enters the race with perhaps the best name recognition.
While none of the other candidates has previously run for office, McClure has a track record of winning Northampton County, which is considered a regional and national bellwether.
However, McClure's campaign is largely self-funded, thanks to a $200,000 loan; he described it as his life savings in a January interview.
If the primary race turns into a battle of resources, he may be at a disadvantage compared with rivals with deeper pockets.
Obando-Derstine
Obando-Derstine has spent much of the past 20 years in community-centered roles across the Lehigh Valley.
She's also gotten endorsements from former U.S. Rep. Susan Wild and former U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, her one-time boss.
As the only woman and Latina in the race, she's argued she's the candidate best equipped to build a winning coalition in the increasingly diverse district this November.
However, Obando-Derstine, a Colombian immigrant, had the smallest war chest entering among the remaining candidates at the end of 2025.
That may make it challenging for her to make herself known to voters, compared with the veteran politician McClure and two candidates with stronger financials.
Crosswell
Crosswell may have the largest national profile of the Democratic field.
A former federal prosecutor, he testified before Congress last year after resigning from the Justice Department for what he called political considerations that influenced prosecutorial decisions.
A Marine, he also has enjoyed significant support and financial backing from national organizations. He closed 2025 with $612,249 on hand, the most of any of the Democratic candidates.
However, Crosswell's ties to the Lehigh Valley and even the Democratic Party have been called into question.
A Pottsville native, he first moved to the district a year ago, shortly before he announced his congressional campaign. He was a registered Republican until December 2024.
As a result, his opponents have accused him of being a carpetbagger and political opportunist.
Brooks
Meanwhile, Brooks has garnered high-profile endorsements since entering the race in August.
Former U.S. presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg stumped on his behalf last month, as has Gov. Josh Shapiro, who's widely viewed as a potential presidential candidate in 2028.
Brooks also has proven to be a capable fundraiser, with $340,767 on hand at the end of December.
Brooks contends he's the candidate best equipped to reverse the tide of working-class Americans leaving the Democratic Party for President Donald Trump's MAGA movement.
But because that base already has started to leave the Democratic Party, it remains to be seen how he well he can compete in the primary.
He'll also need to persuade voters he's committed to serving in Congress. He originally endorsed McClure for the nomination before U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-Pennsylvania, and Shapiro persuaded him to enter the race.
Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District represents Carbon, Lehigh and Northampton counties, plus a sliver of Monroe County.
It's near equal number of registered Democrats and Republicans — plus an unusually large segment of independent voters — make it among the most-contested battleground districts in the country.
Control of the U.S. House has been decided by a handful of seats in recent years.
As a result, both major parties have invested enormous resources into the PA-7 race in recent years in bids to earn a majority.
The 2024 race saw Mackenzie eke out a 1-percentage-point victory over Wild in a campaign that cost a total $30 million.
The region's status as a swing district also has led to multiple VIP visits as political leaders make their cases directly to local voters.
High-profile visitors in the past two years include Trump, President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., among others.
