Part II: Where Republicans in 7th Congressional District race stand on domestic issues
The three candidates gave their views at three recent forums
Republicans running to unseat incumbent Democrat Susan Wild in the 7th Congressional District have participated in at least three public forums where they shared their views on major campaign issues.
Kevin Dellicker, a business owner and veteran from Heidelberg Township, state Rep. Ryan Mackenzie of Lower Macungie Township and Maria Montero, a lawyer who lives in Easton, are facing each other in the primary on April 23.
The three candidates have participated in two televised forums, one on “Business Matters” on WFMZ-TV that was taped in February and aired in two parts on March 11 and 18, and one in Carbon County that took place on March 4 on Blue Ridge TV-13. They also addressed the Lehigh Valley Tea Party at the group’s January meeting.
In this post, Armchair Lehigh Valley looks at their views on domestic policies. Part I looks at their views on immigration and foreign affairs. You can read it here.
Candidates are listed in alphabetical order.
Jobs/economy/inflation
During the “Business Matters” forum, Dellicker blamed “Bidenomics” and “massive spending” by the federal government as the reason for inflation and high interest rates. He pointed to his 19 years running his technology company, Dellicker Strategies, as qualifications for handling finances and dealing with government regulations and taxes. He said that the federal budget deficit is “the number one thing that’s holding us back right now from making economic prosperity.” At the Carbon forum, Dellicker said “unleashing entrepreneurs” would create jobs but did not explain how he would accomplish it. He said establishing new government programs is not the way to create jobs.
At the Carbon forum, Mackenzie said he has taken steps to create jobs in the Lehigh Valley. He authored 2020 legislation that made it easier to launch advanced plastic recycling operations in Pennsylvania. “Now we have these types of facilities opening and operating here in Pennsylvania,” he said. Mackenzie mentioned his position as chair of the House International Relations Caucus in 2022 which aims to bring international delegations to Pennsylvania. During the “Business Matters” debate, Mackenzie said “massive overspending in Washington, D.C., is the main driver of inflation.” He blamed the federal government’s policies for the increase in food, housing and energy prices.
Montero told the Lehigh Valley Tea Party that inflation and the economy are the top issues. She believes the way to boost the economy is through energy independence by using Pennsylvania’s supply of natural gas. At the Carbon forum, Montero said that lowering taxes and reducing regulations on businesses would also help fight inflation. At the “Business Matters” forum, she said government overspending is the reason the cost of groceries and gas are high.
Abortion
The candidates were not asked specifically about their positions on abortion at the forums, but they were asked about women’s reproductive rights at the Carbon forum.
They agreed that there should be funding for crisis pregnancy centers that promote alternatives to abortions. They criticized Gov. Josh Shapiro’s decision last year to end the state’s contract with Real Alternatives, a nationwide group that funds 27 centers in Pennsylvania. Its website says, “Abortion is a medical procedure that terminates the life of your unborn child. Like any medical procedure, there are risks. You have the right to be fully informed about those risks.”
At the Tea Party forum, Mackenzie said he has a “pro-life track record” in the state legislature. At the Carbon forum, Mackenzie said he has “always voted to reduce the number of abortions that are occurring here in Pennsylvania.” He also said he was the prime sponsor of 2018’s Maternal Mortality Review Committee legislation.
Guns/safety
During part II of the “Business Matters” forum, the candidates were asked about gun control and curbing gun violence.
Dellicker said the murders that are occurring in Allentown are not the result of a lack of gun control. “It’s because of lack of law and order, and it’s because the city of Allentown and other places around Pennsylvania and people like Susan Wild have gone after the police. If you demonize the police and you demonize law enforcement, then you’re not going to be able to have what you need to enforce the law in our communities and we’re seeing that play out right now. We need to enforce law and order. We need to support our police.”
Mackenzie said he has a pro-Second Amendment voting record in the state legislature. “We do need to support our law enforcement, because again when you send that signal that crime is not going to be prosecuted, the criminals see that, they understand that, they’re going to commit more crimes. And also when you do demonize the police, you are going to have people that don’t want to go into those jobs anymore. And it’s a bad recipe for crime in America.”
Montero said, “We need to do everything possible to make sure that we protect our Second Amendment rights because the major issue with these shootings is that there is such a lack of moral clarity in our country. The people seriously don’t know what’s right from wrong, and we need elected officials that show that type of moral clarity that not only ensures that we help individuals that may have mental health crises. But we also need to support life. … If you have a total lack of life and respect of life, of course there’s going to be shootings.”
Climate change/environment
Dellicker said President Biden’s climate policies “are stifling creativity, innovation, and they're creating inflation” because they don’t use energy that is produced in the U.S. “When you're closing down petroleum-based and coal-fired power plants in the United States and then you're allowing China to build new ones so they can build solar panels at the plants that they're using the coal for and then export it to the United States,” he said during the “Business Matters” forum. He said that there is some climate alarmism right now and also criticized tax credits for electric car buyers.
Mackenzie said during the “Business Matters” forum that “the climate has been changing for thousands, maybe millions of years.” He questioned whether climate change is man-made. He criticized “the radical left” for using it to “overturn” the economy, like incentivizing electric cars and promoting electric stoves over gas. He said consumer behavior and the market should decide whether companies are environmentally responsible. He also said he pushed back on Pennsylvania entering the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a carbon cap-and-trade agreement involving Eastern states. The state Commonwealth Court struck down Pennsylvania’s participation in November 2023. Gov. Josh Shapiro recently proposed an alternative program.
Montero did not specifically address the reason for climate change at the three forums. She noted her position on the board of the Pennsylvania Parks & Forests Foundation, a nonprofit that supports Pennsylvania’s national parks and forests, to show her commitment to clean water, air and forests. At the Carbon debate, she said that EPA’s regulations can put a burden on businesses. Montero supports increasing natural gas production. As the great-granddaughter of a coal miner, Montero said she grew up learning about her family’s coal-mining history and the importance of the resource. She said, “We have the cleanest coal production that we’ve had in years.”
Clean coal often refers to coal plants that have been upgraded to sequester carbon dioxide emissions, the success of which is under debate. Sixty coal plants in Pennsylvania have shut down in the past 20 years, according to E&E News. The article cited as reasons less demand for coal, rising demand for natural gas and renewable energy and Pennsylvania’s bid to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.
Trump support/age limits
All three candidates said they support former President Donald Trump, saying they would help him achieve his goals if elected.
Referencing rumors that he is not a Trump supporter, Dellicker said, “I do support Donald Trump, but I’ve been saying that for weeks.”
Mackenzie said he has been a long supporter of Trump. “That's not something new for me,” he said. He said he was the first candidate to endorse the former president in 2024.
Montero said, “We got our country back with Donald Trump and that is so important for us to remember because we need candidates who are going to be able to partner with him, walk with him side by side and make sure that we can grow our party.”
At the Carbon County debate, the candidates were asked if there should be an age limit for politicians. None replied yes.
Montero said the best way to impose age limits is that voters should not re-elect politicians for “10, 15, 20, 30 years.” She said doing so “serves the politician, not we the people.”
Mackenzie referenced Biden, saying “he's not the senator or president now that he used to be.” He said voters should replace politicians at the ballot box.
Dellicker joked that he was the oldest of the three Republican candidates at 53.
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