Democrats running in 7th talk tariffs, ICE and more
Editor’s note: Candidate Mark Pinsley announced Wednesday that he dropped out of the 7th Congressional District race and will instead run in the state Senate 16th District.
All seven Democratic candidates running in the 7th Congressional District participated in a forum on economics and affordability on Feb. 16 where they agreed on most issues with some variations on how they would solve them.
The candidates were Bob Brooks, a state firefighter union president; Ryan Crosswell, a former federal prosecutor; Carol Obando-Derstine, a former PPL supervisor and aide to former U.S. Sen. Bob Casey Jr.; Lamont McClure, who most recently was the Northampton County executive; Mark Pinsley, Lehigh County’s controller; Aiden Gonzalez, vice president of the Lehigh Valley Young Democrats, and Lewis Shupe, a self-described “renegade Democrat.”
The forum was organized by Working Families Power, POWER Action Fund, Make the Road Action, PA-7 United, Transit for All PA, and Lehigh Valley Stands Up.
The Rev. Dr. Gregory Edwards moderated the question-and-answer forum held at Resurrected Life Church in Allentown. (Edwards has endorsed Obando-Derstine.)
The winner of the May 19 primary election will face Republican Ryan Mackenzie, who defeated three-term Democrat Susan Wild in 2024.
The 7th, which comprises all of Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon counties and a small portion of Monroe County, is considered a toss-up by national political analysts.
Housing, utility costs, immigration, tariffs were among the topics that came up. Here is what the candidates had to say.
Yes, no and maybe questions
At the start of the forum, Edwards asked a series of yes, no or maybe questions, asking candidates to show their answers by holding up cards designating their responses.
All answered yes on whether to remove medical debt from credit reports, to expand the child care credit, having stronger oversight of hospital mergers, recognizing collective bargaining as a fundamental right, adjusting the minimum wage annually for inflation and expanding federal assistance for mortgage down payments .
Public transit funding
All candidates supported increasing funding and passage of the Stronger Communities Through Better Transit Act, which would provide $20 billion annually for four years to transit systems for their operating budgets.
Gonzalez: Public transportation needs to be free. “There’s less congestion. People actually participate more in the community because they can rely on robust public transportation.”
Brooks: Public transportation is crucial in underserved communities where residents don’t necessarily have cars. The district needs funding for rail service to New York and Philadelphia. Money is needed to address traffic on Route 22, Route 33 and I-78. “You can’t drive across the Lehigh Valley without getting stuck in a traffic jame no matter what time it is.”
Obando-Derstine: Transportation is a key expense. Her foreign travels showed her that it’s possible to have a good public transportation system and that the U.S. could design a system that works. Spoke of her work helping people as Casey’s point person in the Lehigh Valley.
McClure: Spoke of experience as chairman of the Lehigh Valley Transportation Study, which oversees the flow of state and federal money for projects. Not enough federal dollars are being given to the valley because of the political weight of Philadelphia and Allegheny County. Would bring money to the 7th if elected.
Shupe: Said the 7th needs a rail system.
Pinsley: Employers have told him there aren’t enough buses to transport people to jobs. Not having transportation can lead to homelessness. More money should be allocated for improving system operations not just on capital expenses.
Crosswell: It’s important to expand public transportation to make it easier for struggling families. It’s an economic opportunity that can provide jobs.
To see more photos from the candidate forum, click here.
On attracting and supporting an immigrant workforce
As they discussed the issue, the candidates condemned actions by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Minnesota that led to the deaths of two Americans and wrongful arrests of other Americans.
Crosswell: “This is a scary time for America.” Making immigrants feel safe is important. Public officials need to be held accountable for what is happening to immigrants. “We need accountability, justice,” he said, referring to his experience as a federal prosecutor. Immigrants can be helped by creating job and education opportunities.
Gonzalez: ICE, which is under the Department of Homeland Security, should be replaced with its prior designation as U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service. There is an economic benefit to helping immigrants when they arrive in the U.s.
Brooks: Withhold funding for ICE and impeach Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. Return ICE to its original mission. “It was meant to go get murderers and drug dealers, not grandmas.” Help immigrants get jobs, health care, housing and safe working conditions.
Obando-Derstine: Came to the U.S. at age 3 as an immigrant from Colombia. More resources are needed to help Spanish-speakers who own businesses. “That’s a concrete way to support families trying to achieve the American dream.” The country needs humane immigration reform, saying “cruelty is the point right now.”
Pinsley: “I believe that we should abolish ICE.” Wants immigrants to be treated like human beings, know they are an economic blessing and given help with paperwork. Would abolish the Immigration Nationality Act, which gives the president broad authority to suspend the entry of any alien or class of aliens into the United States.
Shupe: “We need to roll back ICE. We need to figure out what went on, what went where, and reverse it.”
McClure: ICE’s plans for a Berks County warehouse are “grotesque, because you do not house human beings in a warehouse meant to house widgets on their way to the market.” … I have experienced fighting Trump. Six years ago in March of 2020, I kicked ICE out of the Northampton County Courthouse and they haven’t been allowed back in since to arrest people.”
On budget priorities and funding ICE and military aid to Israel
Pinsley: Pass the proposed Block the Bombs Act, which prohibits the United States transfer of weapons that the Israeli military has used in Gaza until human rights violations cease. “What we need to be doing is spending our money wisely so that we can afford things here in the United States. There is no reason to be supporting foreign entities and ICE.”
Crosswell: The U.S. is spending billions building detention centers while cutting funding to the Centers for Disease Control that could go to cancer research. “Where are our priorities?” Shift tax burden away from the lower, working and middle classes. Tax unrealized capital gains and eliminate step-up basis for estate heirs for the wealthiest Americans. Such changes will provide more money for health care, education, housing, child care and transportation.
Gonzalez: Republicans caused 1 million people to end their coverage under the Affordable Care Act because of the loss of subsidies, and voted to cut Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. “We should focus on health care. We should focus on child care. We should focus on housing.”
Obando-Derstine: People have trouble paying for housing, health care, child care and utilities. “We need to raise the federal minimum wage, expand middle-class tax cuts, roll back giveaways for billionaires, restore safety net programs like Medicaid, like SNAP.”
Shupe: “I’m poor. I’m living it right now” Said prices went up during Covid and never came down.
Brooks: What is happening in Gaza is devastating and said Israel needs to follow and be held accountable to international laws. Bring back everything that was cut in Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill. Was on SNAP benefits as a child and young adult and came close to foreclosure due to health care expenses. “I’ve lived this life.” The 7th needs him to fight for those benefits.
McClure: The economy is being taken apart by Trump’s tariffs. Congress needs to reclaim the power over tariffs. Restore the social safety net programs that the Republicans cut. Said incumbent Mackenzie “tried to con” voters in December when he signed discharge petitions to bring up a vote on extending the ACA enhanced subsidies. Said Mackenzie voted to cut the enhanced subsidies in the One Big Beautiful Bill when it passed 218-214 in July.
What federal measures do you support to help working families to afford electricity?
Shupe: The federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance program needs more funding to help people pay for heating and electricity.
Pinsley: A data center is being proposed in South Whitehall that would consume a vast amount of electricity. The federal government needs to create guardrails. Data centers should create their own electricity and have sound pollution controls. More funding is needed to help people winterize their homes.
Crosswell: The U.S. was nearly at renewable energy scale when energy tax credits were cut under the One Big Beautiful Bill. The loss of the credits has killed jobs, is raising energy costs and putting people’s health at risk. China is “rushing” toward renewable energy while Trump and Mackenzie are “rolling us back.”
Gonzalez: Utility companies are posting record profits while passing on rate hikes to consumers. Money should be invested to modernize the utility infrastructure and that utilities need more oversight. Serious investment must be made in renewable energy. The U.S., not China, should be winning the renewable energy race.
Brooks: Data centers should create their own energy. Owners should pay to upgrade the power grid. “It’s not our responsibility to make billionaires richer.” Transparency laws needed to see what profits the centers are making. Eliminate junk fees such as charging people to turn their power back on.
McClure: As Northampton’s executive, the county provided fuel assistance to senior citizens when their LIHEAP funding ran out. The former lawyer said he fought the largest employers. He testified against PPL’s rate hike, saying it would hurt small businesses. Congress could regulate utilities under the commerce clause because many cross state lines.
Obando-Derstine: Her former job at PPL involved helping seniors and families reduce energy bills. Solar tax credits need to be restored. Elon Musk’s DOGE cut funding to research ways to increase solar storage. Increasing storage capacity is how you unlock the full capacity of solar and wind energy.
On tax code changes that would eliminate economic inequality and improve affordability
McClure: The middle class needs a tax break. He lowered property taxes as county executive, a move that has since saved taxpayers $25 million. Taxes must go up on the wealthy to restore the social safety net that was cut by Trump and Republicans.
Crosswell: The middle class is subsidizing the wealthy. Teachers pay more in federal taxes than billionaires. Eliminate the step-up basis for heirs of large estates and tax unrealized capital gains. Addressing affordability will put more money in people’s pockets as will investing in education, transportation and renewable energy.
Shupe: Supports a special tax on billionaires.
Brooks: Enact a special tax on billionaires and end tax cuts for corporations. Trump made those cuts permanent but not cuts for tips and Social Security. Remove the $185,000 income ceiling for wages that are subject to the Social Security tax. Doing so would fund Social Security for another hundred years.
Pinsley: $45,000 should be annual minimum wage in the U.S. Anyone earning that amount should not pay federal income tax. Remove loopholes that allow billionaires to pay less taxes than teachers. Change the federal estate tax, which is now applied only to the portion of an estate that exceeds $15 million. Prevent the wealthy from using foundations to “hide” their money.
Obando-Derstine: Mackenzie was a “deciding vote” that made tax cuts permanent for billionaires. “That’s not right.” To help the middle class, expand tax credits, invest in research and development for small businesses and lift the Social Security income cap. Roll back tariffs as they drive up grocery and construction costs.
Gonzalez: Increase the 21% corporate tax rate and make it a progressive tax. Close corporate tax loopholes. Pass legislation to curb corporate stock buybacks, saying businesses who do that will the turn around and lay off workers.
On whether housing is a human right and how to increase affordable housing.
All agreed it is a human right.
Obando–Derstine: She once volunteered at North Penn Legal Services, helping tenants avoid eviction, and for a homeless veterans task force. Said funding cuts to such groups need to be restored. Give tax incentives to developers to build more low-income housing. Give more funding to neighborhood housing programs and crack down on institutional investors who buy up homes and keep rents high.
Crosswell: Pass legislation to develop more housing and expand federal grants. Build more housing in developed areas rather than in green spaces. Reduce the permitting process time.
Shupe: Build tiny homes – small, secure living spaces for the homeless.
McClure: Helped tenants avoid eviction while he was in law school. Habitat for Humanity is building 50 affordable housing units in Forks Township. “That’s a drop in the bucket.” The lack of affordable housing “is a national crisis that cries out for a national solution.” Tariffs are making it too expensive to build homes and that incentives are needed.
Gonzalez: Young people such as himself fear they will never be able to buy a home. Financial incentives and a progressive corporate tax are needed to fund affordable housing. Streamline the permitting process.
Brooks: A lot of housing needs to be built fast. Pass the federal Helpers Act, which would extend the veterans housing loan program to law enforcement officers, first responders and teachers. Would eliminate down payments and monthly mortgage insurance premiums. Crack down on institutional investors who buy properties then charge high rents.
Pinsley: Trump’s tariffs make it untenable to build new housing and need to be rolled back. Developers need incentives. “If we do those two things, increase supply for everybody throughout the housing market and build more affordable housing, we can get this crisis under control.”