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Federal

U.S. Representative, 7th Congressional District

Vote for
1
Term
2 years
Candidates
2
Election
Nov 3, 2026

What this office does: A member of the U.S. House of Representatives votes on federal laws, taxes and spending on behalf of the district.

All of Carbon, Lehigh and Northampton counties and western Monroe County (Eldred and Polk townships and the Ross One precinct of Ross Township).

CandidatesCompare by issue

Taxes & budget

  • Bob BrooksDemocratic

    • Proposes a billionaire minimum tax and repealing the 2017 tax law's breaks for the wealthy and corporations.

  • Ryan MackenzieRepublican

    • Proposes further tax relief for working families and tighter control of government spending.

Public safety

  • Bob BrooksDemocratic

    • Supports universal background checks, closing the gun show loophole and waiting periods.

  • Ryan MackenzieRepublican

    • Says he helped secure resources against human trafficking and drug smuggling.

Education

  • Bob BrooksDemocratic

    • Opposes federal money for private-school vouchers; calls for more federal support for public schools.

  • Ryan MackenzieRepublican

    • Supports parents' rights and opposes what his campaign calls "men in women's sports."

Housing

  • Bob BrooksDemocratic

    • Calls for more starter homes, limits on corporate landlords and VA-style loans for teachers and first responders.

  • Ryan MackenzieRepublican

    • Cites passage of an expansion of affordable housing tax credits.

Economy & jobs

  • Bob BrooksDemocratic

    • Supports raising the minimum wage and indexing it to inflation, and passing the PRO Act.

  • Ryan MackenzieRepublican

    No documented position found.

Roads & infrastructure

  • Bob BrooksDemocratic

    • Supports local control over where data centers are built and federal law backing local vetoes.

  • Ryan MackenzieRepublican

    • Co-sponsored the Ratepayer Protection Act requiring data centers to pay for the grid upgrades they need.In office

Environment & parks

  • Bob BrooksDemocratic

    • Supports new nuclear and natural gas plants alongside wind, solar and other renewables.

  • Ryan MackenzieRepublican

    No documented position found.

Health & human services

  • Bob BrooksDemocratic

    • Supports Medicare for All and restoring Medicaid cuts.

  • Ryan MackenzieRepublican

    • Pledges to preserve Social Security and Medicare; introduced a bill on prescription drug price transparency.

Government & transparency

  • Bob BrooksDemocratic

    • Supports overturning Citizens United, banning congressional stock trading and term limits.

  • Ryan MackenzieRepublican

    • Proposes requiring federal candidates to divest individual stocks; backs congressional term limits.

Challengers are listed first and incumbents last; otherwise candidates appear in ballot order. The Gist does not rank, rate or endorse candidates. Only positions backed by a cited source are shown; 9 issues covered in this race.