Democrat Carol Obando-Derstine enters 7th Congressional District race
Sets up Democratic primary contest in 2026
Ending speculation that’s been building for weeks, Carol Obando-Derstine made it official Thursday morning when she declared her candidacy for the 7th Congressional District.
“So now, why am I running for Congress, you might ask? Frankly, I'm pissed,” she told a crowd of a few dozen people, many holding “Carol O for Congress” signs, at Bethlehem’s Payrow Plaza.
Obando-Derstine said she’s troubled by Trump administration efforts to cut taxes for billionaires, jeopardize health care for those who need it and levy tariffs on imported goods. She’s concerned about large layoffs of Social Security staff that leave phone calls unanswered.
“I will always fight against policies that tear at the American dream and make life harder for every single American. And you better believe that I will always stand up and protect our right to choose what to do with our own bodies. Yes, I'm fighting for real economic change for an economy that works for working families like the one I grew up in,” she said.
Obando-Derstine became the second Democratic candidate to enter the race, joining Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure, setting up a 2026 primary battle of at least two candidates seeking to unseat the Republican Congressman Ryan Mackenzie.
Orbando-Derstine, who is 48, was recruited to run by former U.S. Rep. Susan Wild, the Democrat who represented the 7th District for three terms before losing to Mackenzie last November by 1 percentage point. In introducing the new candidate, Wild said the path for Democrats to retake control of the U.S. House runs through the 7th District.
“It became very clear … over the past couple of months that she was the best candidate to lead us in this fight,” Wild said. “She has done so many things to help so many people, her roots in this district run deep. She raised her family here, and she has dedicated her life to helping people to stand up for the most vulnerable people in our community for more than two decades.”
Wild said Mackenzie was “the luckiest politician in America … because Donald Trump was on the ballot and he clearly rode his coattails.”
In response, Mackenzie for Congress spokesman Arnaud Armstrong released a statement: “Fresh off being rejected by the voters, Susan Wild has decided that she doesn’t want to lose again, so she has decided to recruit someone who will vote the same [way] she did and simply act as her puppet. Susan Wild’s stated goal was finding someone with ‘no record’ so they could make up an image to fool voters. The sad truth that has been exposed is that Obando-Derstine is running to carry on Wild’s radical-left agenda that caused the worst inflation in decades, disastrous open-border policies, failed foreign policy, and woke mandates.”
Obando-Derstine linked Mackenzie to President Trump’s tariffs on imported goods. At an April 10 CNN Town Hall, Mackenzie said the U.S. faces “significant trade barriers all around the world. … I think we are actually in a position right now as a country to finally address this challenge. And Donald Trump has been leading on this issue ever since he ran for office.”
She said, “Donald Trump and Ryan Mackenzie don't know and frankly don't care about what rising prices do to families living on the economic edge. Ryan Mackenzie is like a bobblehead doll doing nothing, saying nothing while voting for this disastrous agenda while I'm running for Congress, because it's time to stand up and fight.”
She was asked about McClure, a lawyer who has served as a county councilman and is finishing his second term as executive, having an advantage as being more well known than she is.
“I'm someone who has dedicated my career to helping others help themselves. I have not dedicated my career to politics,” she said. “I have experience here working with vulnerable communities and making a difference focused on affordability, focused on economic challenges that everyday families face.”
In response, the McClure campaign said, “Our focus is on November of 2026. We are going to be the Democratic nominee who beats Ryan Mackenzie and puts a check on Donald Trump’s chaos.”
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Obando-Derstine’s announcement gave her an opportunity to introduce herself to residents of the 7th District, which comprises all of Carbon, Lehigh and Northampton counties and a small part of Monroe.
She came to Passaic, N.J., with her parents, German and Alba Marina, from Colombia when she was 4, living in a crowded house with one bathroom. She learned English by watching Sesame Street. Her father was a science and math teacher in Colombia but in New Jersey drove a bakery truck, studied electronics and became a hospital technician, while her mother worked in a factory; both were union members and became U.S. citizens as is Obando-Derstine.
She held several jobs in the Lehigh Valley starting in 2003 as executive director of Skills Council USA.
She later worked for then-U.S. Sen. Bob Casey as regional manager and statewide Latino affairs adviser and with PPL Electric Utilities for nine years in several supervisory roles. She left PPL last month to devote her full-time efforts running for Congress.
She and her husband, Chad, have two children and live in Upper Saucon Township. She said her work in Casey’s office prepared her for a career in public service.
“Day in and day out, we put people in touch with the services they needed. I also learned what public service was about. It was about listening, like really listening and delivering for the constituents, for the people you represent. And that's exactly what I'll do for you in Congress.”