ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Lamont McClure came to IBEW Local 375 headquarters Wednesday morning to blast one of his opponents, whose history he claims is the antithesis to local workers and their values.
McClure noted candidate and former federal prosecutor Ryan Crosswell's work with Littler Mendelson — "the largest union-avoidance law firm in the United States," according to McClure, who is Northampton County executive.
"This firm made millions helping corporations crush organizing efforts," he said. "That's not someone who shares labor's values or belongs in a Democratic primary."
Crosswell's campaign manager Noa Worob said Crosswell never worked on a case that involved union busting.
"Ryan worked at a large law firm early in his career, and left that job over a decade ago to join the Department of Justice where he protected our country from fraudsters, pedophiles and corrupt politicians until the day that Donald Trump tried to force him to drop a case against one of his cronies," Worob said in a prepared statement.
McClure and Crosswell are among five candidates who plan to compete in next year's Democratic primary for the Lehigh Valley congressional seat held by first-term Republican U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie.
McClure said Crosswell lacks a connection to the Lehigh Valley, has switched parties opportunistically, and has a history of fighting against unions and union workers.
IBEW Assistant Business Manager Justin Grimshaw said the matter was not one of party lines or campaign policy promises, but about “values, trust, and whose side the candidate is really on.
“Let's talk about Mr. Crosswell's values. I'm sure by now you’ve heard the ads and talking points, but that does not match his career,” Grimshaw said, detailing Crosswell’s work with Littler Mendelson and representing Citicorp and Becton, Dickinson and Co. in lawsuits against employees.
Grimshaw added Crosswell was a “lifelong Republican that suddenly changed his thinking and became a Democrat to run in our district… [and] to my knowledge, until recently, he never even lived here.”
Worob noted Crosswell grew up in Pottsville.
"Like a lot of Pennsylvanians, Ryan left the state for public service. He joined the Marine Corps, then served as a federal prosecutor," Worob said.
"He has spent his life serving his country, because that’s what people from here do — they put others before themselves. And like many people who leave Pennsylvania to serve, he decided to come home when his service was over.
"The people of the Lehigh Valley and this district have welcomed him with open arms."
McClure said he has endorsements from the Lehigh Valley and Philadelphia building trades, and referenced his time at the Law Offices of Peter Angelos, where he represented tradesmen against “the largest corporations in the world who injured and killed these men without their knowledge.”
“And I am here to tell you this morning that I will continue to fight for working families and the middle class no matter where I am, whether it's filling out my term as county executive or when I am in Congress, I will fight like hell for working people,” McClure said.
McClure said worker safety is of paramount importance to him, referencing his work with Gracedale, the county-run nursing home, and the county's responsible contractor ordinance.
"I bet there's not another challenger in the country who can say that over 40 current and former officials — we're on our way to being over 50 — have also endorsed this campaign, and I believe that's because they know I will go to Washington and fight like hell for them, fight like hell for the people that they represent,” McClure said.
Crowded Democratic field
Earlier this week, retired Bethlehem firefighter Bob Brooks became the fifth Democrat to announce a run for Congress in next year's midterm election.
Besides Crosswell and McClure, the Democratic field also includes energy engineer Carol Obando-Derstine and Lehigh County Controller Mark Pinsley.
PA-7 has proven to be one of the nation's most hotly contested congressional races in recent years.
Democrats hold a slight advantage in voter registration, but it's balanced out by the district's unusually high number of independent voters.
Every congressional race in the region has been decided by 3 percentage points or less since the 2020 election.
Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District includes Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon counties, and a small piece of Monroe County.
