Montero makes bid for 7th Congressional seat official
She joins Dellicker and Mackenzie in seeking GOP nomination in 2024
Republican Maria Montero, an attorney who lives in Easton, on Monday announced her 2024 candidacy for the 7th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.
“Never in my lifetime have I been more concerned about the direction of our country,” Montero, 46, said in a press release. “We need to right the ship and take action now to restore the American Dream not just for ourselves, but for future generations.”
Montero, who earlier filed candidacy paperwork for the race with the Federal Election Commission, is among three candidates seeking the Republican nomination.
The others who made formal announcements are:
Kevin Dellicker, 52, a business owner from Heidelberg Township who last year narrowly lost a primary battle for the GOP nomination in the 7th to Lisa Scheller.
State Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, 40, of Lower Macungie who represents the 187th House District and twice began and withdrew plans to run for Congress.
Kevin Dellicker announces candidacy for Congress from 7th District
State Rep. Ryan Mackenzie enters race for Congress from 7th District
The Republican winner will likely face Rep. Susan Wild, the Democratic incumbent, who was reelected last year to a third, two-year term. No Democrat has announced a challenge to her in the primary.
The 7th comprises all of Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon counties and, in Monroe County, Eldred and Polk townships and part of Ross Township.
Montero said her campaign is built on four cornerstones: safety, accountability, family finances, and education.
“We need to work to improve safety in our communities by cracking down on the brazen crime and flow of dangerous drugs like fentanyl across our porous borders,” Montero said.
She said elected officials need to be held accountable for the national debt, calling it “a fiscal and budgetary nightmare that we are leaving for our children and grandchildren.”
She said struggling families need relief, saying they were saddled with rising inflation and taxes “by their own elected officials who refuse to tighten their own belts.”
As someone who rose from poverty, Montero said education is the great equalizer.
“And I am committed to improving our educational system so that our young people are best prepared to pursue their chosen paths after high school, whether it be entering the workforce, learning a trade, or attending college,” she said.
According to her press release and campaign website, Montero grew up in Allentown and Summit Hill, graduating from Marian Catholic High School in Rush Township, where she serves on the board of directors.
As a single mother of a son, Montero earned a bachelor’s degree from St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia and a law degree from Widener University. After law school, she practiced workers’ compensation law.
In 2001, Montero was named to the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Latino Affairs by former Gov. Tom Ridge. Ten years later, former Gov. Tom Corbett appointed her as the executive director of the Pennsylvania Commission for Women. Montero co-founded the Lehigh Valley’s Power of Women Networking Initiative.
Avid about the outdoors, Montero is on the board of the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation, a nonprofit that supports state parks and forests.
As the daughter of an immigrant and granddaughter of Irish coal miners, Montero said her own journey and background will provide her with a unique perspective in advocating for local residents. She said she knows the value of tenacity and hard work.