Updated: A look at the Lehigh Valley races in November
The general election will be one to watch.
The vote certification process for the May 17 primary took so long that lost in the fray of lawsuits and recounts is who actually won the local congressional and state Senate and House races.
But the November election is shaping up to be one to watch.
We will see a rematch of the 2020 race featuring incumbent Democrat Susan Wild and Republican Lisa Scheller for the 7th Congressional District seat. The last time, Wild defeated Scheller 51.9% to 48.1% but for this race the 7th has been reconfigured and slightly leans Republican.
Two seats – the 14th Senate District and the 22nd House District – have no incumbents due to mandated redistricting.
In the 14th, Democrat Nick Miller, an Allentown Schol Board member, will square off against Republican Dean Browning, a former Lehigh County commissioner. In the 22nd, Joshua Siegal, an Allentown City Council member, will face Republican Robert E. Smith Jr., a former Allentown School Board member.
A number of incumbents have no challengers: Jeanne McNeill, D-133rd, Steve Samuelson, D-135th, Robert Freeman, D-136th, and Zach Mako, R-183rd.
Republican Ryan Mackenzie, now in the 134th, is unopposed in the 187th after defeating incumbent Republican Gary Day.
LOCAL CONGRESSIONAL RACE
7th District
Candidates:
Susan Wild, D, Allentown, incumbent
Lisa Scheller, R, Allentown
Municipalities: All of Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon counties as well as Eldred and Polk townships and about half of Ross Township in Monroe County.
LOCAL STATE SENATE RACES
District 14
Incumbent: None.
Candidates:
Nick Miller, D, Allentown; Allentown School Board member
Dean Browning, R, South Whitehall; former Lehigh County commissioner
Municipalities: Lehigh County: Hanover, Salisbury and Whitehall Townships and Catasauqua, Coplay, Emmaus and Fountain Hill along with parts of South Whitehall Township and Allentown. Northampton County: Allen, Bushkill, East Allen, Hanover, Lehigh and Moore townships and Bath, Chapman, North Catasauqua, Northampton and Walnutport.
District 16
Incumbent: None
Candidates:
Jarrett Coleman, R, Upper Macungie Township; Parkland School Board member
Mark Pinsley, D, South Whitehall Township; Lehigh County controller
Municipalities: Lehigh County: Heidelberg, Lower Macungie, Lower Milford, Lowhill, Lynn, North Whitehall, Upper Macungie, Upper Milford, Upper Saucon, Washington and Weisenberg townships, Alburtis, Coopersburg, Macungie and Slatington along with parts of South Whitehall Township and Allentown. Bucks County: Bedminster, Bridgeton, Durham, East Rockhill, Haycock, Hilltown, Milford, Nockamixon, Richland, Springfield, Tinicum and West Rockhill townships and Dublin, Perkasie, Quakertown, Richlandtown, Riegelsville, Sellersville, Silverdale and Trumbauersville along with the Bucks County portion of Telford.
District 18
Candidates:
Lisa Boscola, D. Bethlehem Township, incumbent
John Merhottein Jr., R, Bethlehem Township, township commissioner
Municipalities: Forks, Lower Mount Bethel, Lower Nazareth, Lower Saucon, Palmer, Plainfield, Upper Mount Bethel, Upper Nazareth, Washington, and Williams townships and Bangor, East Bangor, Easton, Freemansburg, Glendon, Hellertown, Nazareth, Pen Argyl, Portland, Roseto, Stockertown, Tatamy, West Easton, Wilson and Wind Gap in Northampton County. The district also includes all of Bethlehem.
LOCAL STATE HOUSE RACES
District 22
Incumbent: None
Candidates:
Joshua Siegel, D, Allentown, member of Allentown City Council
Robert E. Smith Jr., R, Allentown, former Allentown School Board member
Municipalities: Parts of Allentown and Salisbury Township.
District 131
Candidates:
Milou Mackenzie, R, Lower Saucon Township, incumbent
Kevin Branco, D, Upper Saucon Township; owns Main Street gym in Hellertown
Municipalities: Lehigh County: Lower Milford, Upper Milford and Upper Saucon townships and Coopersburg with part of Salisbury Township. Montgomery County: Marlborough, Salford and Upper Hanover townships and East Greenville, Green Lane, Pennsburg and Red Hill. Northampton County: Parts of Lower Saucon Township.
District 132
Candidates:
Michael Schlossberg, D, Allentown, incumbent
Bethney Whitehill-Finch, R, South Whitehall
Municipalities: South Whitehall and parts of Allentown and Upper Macungie Township.
District 133
Candidate: Jeanne McNeill, D, Whitehall Township, incumbent
Municipalities: Catasauqua, Coplay, Fountain Hill; Hanover Township (Lehigh County) and Whitehall Township plus the Lehigh County portion of Bethlehem.
District 134
Candidates:
Peter Schweyer, D, Allentown, incumbent
Brent Labenberg, R, Emmaus; president of Emmaus Borough Council
Schweyer is the incumbent in the 22nd. He now lives in the reconfigured 134th when his Allentown residence was moved to that district.
Municipalities: Emmaus and parts of Allentown and Salisbury Township.
District 135
Candidate: Steve Samuelson, D, Bethlehem, incumbent
Municipalities: Northampton County portion of Bethlehem and parts of Hanover Township (Northampton County).
District 136
Candidate: Robert Freeman, D, Easton, incumbent
Municipalities: Easton, Freemansburg, Glendon, Hellertown, West Easton, Wilson and Williams Township along with parts of Lower Saucon and Palmer townships.
District 137
Candidates:
Joe Emrick, R, Upper Nazareth Township, incumbent
Anna B. Thomas, D, Bethlehem Township
Municipalities: Nazareth, Tatamy and Bethlehem, Lower Nazareth and Upper Nazareth townships along with portions of Hanover and Palmer townships.
District 138
Candidates:
Ann Flood, R, Moore Township, incumbent
Gene Hunter, D, Forks Township
Municipalities: Bangor, Chapman, East Bangor, Pen Argyl, Portland, Roseto, Stockertown and Wind Gap and Bushkill, Forks, Lower Mount Bethel, Plainfield, Upper Mount Bethel and Washington townships with parts of Moore Township.
District 183
Candidate: Zach Mako, R, Walnutport, incumbent
Municipalities: Lehigh County: Lowhill Township, North Whitehall Township and Slatington. Northampton County: Bath, North Catasauqua, Northampton and Walnutport and Allen, East Allen and Lehigh townships along with parts of Moore Township.
District 187
Candidate:
Ryan Mackenzie, R - Lower Macungie Township, incumbent
Mackenzie is the incumbent in the 134th. He now lives in the reconfigured 187th when Lower Macungie was moved to that district.
Municipalities: Heidelberg, Lower Macungie, Lynn, Washington and Weisenberg townships and Alburtis and Macungie along with parts of Upper Macungie Township.