Firefighter Union Leader Bob Brooks Wins Democratic Nomination for Toss-Up Pennsylvania House Seat
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jun 8
Firefighter Union Leader Bob Brooks Wins Democratic Nomination for Toss-Up Pennsylvania House Seat
2 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jun 8
Summary
Bob Brooks, a firefighter and former Pennsylvania firefighters’ union president, won the Democratic nomination and will face Republican Ryan Mackenzie in November in an eastern Pennsylvania House race rated a toss-up.
The district leans just R+1 on the Cook Partisan Index, and Mackenzie is seen as one of the country’s most vulnerable House Republicans after narrowly unseating Democrat Susan Wild in 2024.
Brooks is part of a Democratic push to recruit labor candidates, arguing Congress lacks working-class representation; he says only 2% of lawmakers come from the working class versus 60% of Americans.
His campaign casts a sharp class contrast with Mackenzie, who drew nearly $1.1 million from Koch-backed Americans for Prosperity in 2024, holds an 8% AFL-CIO score and is endorsed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Brooks is running on affordability and labor issues — including Medicare for all, labor-law reform and a higher minimum wage — while tying Mackenzie to Trump-backed tax cuts and Medicaid reductions.