Another Republican candidate has announced his intention to run for the Lehigh Valley’s congressional seat in 2024.
State Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, who represents the 187th District in Lehigh County, announced his candidacy for Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District on Wednesday.
In a release, Mackenzie outlined what he called his “4 Principles for America,” which he said were to “grow our economy, defend our values, secure our communities, and restore our freedoms.”
In a statement, he said he was “the only candidate in the race with a proven and effective record,” and pointed to efforts to save money and refinance debts at the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry.
“Now, more than ever, we need proven leaders who will always fight for America’s future,” he said.
Mackenzie also announced that he will not stand for reelection to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 2024.
A resident of Lower Macungie Township, he has represented part of Lehigh County in Harrisburg since 2012, first for the 134th District, and then for the redrawn 187th District.
Mackenzie is the third candidate to announce a run for the GOP nomination so far.
Kevin Dellicker, a National Guard veteran and business owner who unsuccessfully ran for the 2020 GOP nomination, announced earlier this month that he will make a second run for the 7th Congressional District.
Attorney Maria Montero, who previously served in Gov. Tom Corbett’s administration, also filed paperwork in early July.
The eventual GOP nominee will look challenge and unseat incumbent U.S. Rep. Susan Wild, who is in her third term representing the highly competitive 7th District, which covers all of Carbon, Lehigh, and Northampton counties, as well as part of Monroe County.
The 2022 race for the seat was the most expensive House race in Pennsylvania and saw Wild beat Republican Lisa Scheller by around 2 percentage points.
(Original air-date: 7/26/23)
