State Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, who won the Republican nomination for the 7th congressional district, speaks Tuesday, April 23, 2024, at Delizoso Italian Grill in Macungie.(Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
State Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, who won the Republican nomination for the 7th congressional district, greets supporters Tuesday, April 23, 2024, at Delizoso Italian Grill in Macungie.(Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
State Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, who won the Republican nomination for the 7th congressional district, speaks Tuesday, April 23, 2024, at Delizoso Italian Grill in Macungie.(Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Supporters of state Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, who was seeking the Republican nomination for the 7th congressional district, react to him winning at Delizioso Italian Grill Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in Macungie.(Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
State Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, who won the Republican nomination for the 7th congressional district, greets supporters after winning Tuesday, April 23, 2024, at Delizoso Italian Grill in Macungie. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
State Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, who won the Republican nomination for the 7th congressional district, speaks Tuesday, April 23, 2024, at Delizoso Italian Grill in Macungie.(Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Supporters of State Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, who won the Republican nomination for the 7th congressional district, watch the results come in Tuesday, April 23, 2024, at Delizoso Italian Grill in Macungie.(Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
State Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, who won the Republican nomination for the 7th congressional district, greets supporters after winning Tuesday, April 23, 2024, at Delizoso Italian Grill in Macungie. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
State Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, who won the Republican nomination for the 7th congressional district, greets supporters Tuesday, April 23, 2024, at Delizoso Italian Grill in Macungie.(Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Supporters of state Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, who was seeking the Republican nomination for the 7th congressional district, react to him winning at Delizioso Italian Grill Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in Macungie.(Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
State Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, who won the Republican nomination for the 7th congressional district, greets supporters after winning Tuesday, April 23, 2024, at Delizoso Italian Grill in Macungie. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Supporters of state Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, who was seeking the Republican nomination for the 7th congressional district, gather at Delizioso Italian Grill Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in Macungie. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Supporters of state Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, who was seeking the Republican nomination for the 7th congressional district, gather at Delizioso Italian Grill Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in Macungie.
State Rep. Ryan Mackenzie will face incumbent Congresswoman Susan Wild in November, in what will be a closely watched race that could determine which party controls the House of Representatives.
Mackenzie beat out businessman Kevin Dellicker and attorney Maria Montero for the Republican nomination for Pennsylvania’s 7th congressional district during Tuesday’s closely watched primary.
The Associated Press called the race for Mackenzie around 9:30 p.m. According to unofficial vote tallies, he received 23,488 votes to Dellicker’s 18,780 and Montero’s 12,890.
Both of his opponents urged their supporters to unite behind Mackenzie in a bid to unseat Wild.
“Our mission now is to retain and grow our Republican majority in Congress, and that means defeating Susan Wild,” Dellicker said in a statement Wednesday conceding the race. “I endorse Ryan’s candidacy and encourage my supporters to help him win too.”
In a victory speech Tuesday night, Mackenzie thanked a group of around 100 supporters gathered at Delizioso Italian Grill in Macungie. He also explained his lateness (he showed up at 9:45 p.m. to his party which started at 8:15 p.m.): He was caring for his 18-day-old son, Leo.
“We are so blessed to have a little baby boy joining us,” Mackenzie said. “But at the same time, we are concerned about the future direction of our country.”
He said that the policies of Wild and President Joe Biden are “destroying this country,” and specifically named “wide open borders” and persistent inflation, which he vowed to address if elected. He called Pennsylvania’s 7th district “ground zero” for the general election because it is one of a handful of congressional races expected to be highly competitive in 2024.
He also appealed to Republicans who did not support him in the primary.
“I want to send a message loud and clear that I am fighting for you,” Mackenzie said. “I am going to fight for you every single day from now until November, and if elected I am going to fight for you every single day in Washington, DC.”
State Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, who won the Republican nomination for the 7th congressional district, greets supporters Tuesday, April 23, 2024, at Delizoso Italian Grill in Macungie.(Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Mackenzie is expected to face yet another challenging and competitive election in November. The 7th district, which includes all of Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon Counties as well as part of Monroe County, is considered a “toss-up” by election forecaster the Cook Political Report, and a “House race to watch” by the New York Times.
The seat is considered one of the most competitive in the United States and is likely a must-win for either party to take control of the U.S. House of Representatives. The National Republican Congressional Committee immediately sent out a message congratulating Mackenzie and taking aim at Wild, calling her an “extreme liberal” out of touch with Lehigh Valley voters.
In a letter to supporters Wednesday, Wild, who is running for her fourth term, called Mackenzie “too extreme” for the district and criticized his record in the state Legislature for being against abortion rights, opposing job creation and workers’ rights and enabling election denial.
“With abortion rights, gun violence prevention, voting rights, and democracy itself on the line this year, we can’t afford to let Mackenzie anywhere near Congress,” she said.
Mackenzie is a six-term legislator running for his first term in Congress. On the campaign trail, he touted his legislative record and loyalty to Donald Trump, though all three candidates publicly supported the former president.
He lists among his legislative accomplishments voting against tax increases; opposing the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a regional agreement that aims to decrease carbon emissions; and authoring a law that required the use of e-verify in the construction industry, to identify and disqualify undocumented immigrants from jobs.
He had also received support from several influential interest groups such as Americans for Prosperity Action — a Super PAC founded by David and Charles Koch which poured nearly $500,000 into supporting his campaign — and the National Rifle Association.
In an interview with The Morning Call Tuesday night, Mackenzie thanked his Republican opponents for “stepping up and trying to do better for our country.” Calling the 7th district a “swing district in a swing state,” said he would aim to appeal to moderate voters in the general election by continuing to criticize Democratic leadership on issues like immigration and inflation.
“Time and time again, there are voters across the political spectrum who want action out of their elected officials,” Mackenzie said. “The two issues are illegal immigration and the wasteful spending that is driving inflation.”
Mackenzie faced a tough challenge in the primary from Montero, an Easton-based attorney who positioned herself as the best candidate to appeal to more diverse and moderate voters, and Dellicker, a veteran and cybersecurity business owner who outraised his opponents thanks to a successful direct mail campaign.
In a concession speech, Montero too thanked her supporters and asked them to support Mackenzie.
“This is the first time I ran for office,” she said. “It was a wonderful experience. I feel so positive and so at peace with what we did. We did it in a way that was positive. We love our country so much. It’s important to have a candidate who will reflect our values, who will beat Susan Wild. I ask everyone to throw your support behind Ryan Mackenzie. I ask to look to the future.”
Maria Montero, a Republican candidate in the 7th congressional district primary, concedes her election at the watch party Tuesday, April 23, 2024, at The Boat Yard in Lehighton. (David Garrett/Special to The Morning Call)
Maria Montero greets Ty Poole at an election results watch party Tuesday, April 23, 2024, at The Boat Yard in Lehighton Tuesday April 23, 2024. (David Garrett/Special to The Morning Call)
Terry Costenbader, of Palmerston and Maria Montero, talk at an election results watch party Tuesday, April 23, 2024, at The Boat Yard in Lehighton Tuesday April 23, 2024. (David Garrett/Special to The Morning Call)
Terry Costenbader, of Palmerston and Maria Montero, talk at an election results watch party Tuesday, April 23, 2024, at The Boat Yard in Lehighton Tuesday April 23, 2024. (David Garrett/Special to The Morning Call)
Deb Krause-Millets, of Whitehall, Juan Reynoso, of Easton, Maria Montero, Karen Frey, of Pen Argyl, and Bob Forest talk at an election results watch party Tuesday, April 23, 2024, at The Boat Yard in Lehighton Tuesday April 23, 2024. (David Garrett/Special to The Morning Call)
Deb Krause-Millets, of Whitehall, Juan Reynoso, of Easton, Maria Montero, Karen Frey, of Pen Argyl, and Bob Forest talk at an election results watch party Tuesday, April 23, 2024, at The Boat Yard in Lehighton Tuesday April 23, 2024. (David Garrett/Special to The Morning Call)
Eric Filer, of Lansford and his wife Gina sit with Maria Montero and Chris Heintzelman, of Summit Hill, at an election results watch party Tuesday, April 23, 2024, at The Boat Yard in Lehighton Tuesday April 23, 2024. (David Garrett/Special to The Morning Call)
Eric Filer, of Lansford and his wife Gina sit with Maria Montero and Chris Heintzelman, of Summit Hill, at an election results watch party Tuesday, April 23, 2024, at The Boat Yard in Lehighton Tuesday April 23, 2024. (David Garrett/Special to The Morning Call)
Eric Filer, of Lansford and his wife Gina sit with Maria Montero and Chris Heintzelman, of Summit Hill, at an election results watch party Tuesday, April 23, 2024, at The Boat Yard in Lehighton Tuesday April 23, 2024. (David Garrett/Special to The Morning Call)
Eric Filer, of Lansford and his wife Gina sit with Maria Montero and Chris Heintzelman, of Summit Hill, at an election results watch party Tuesday, April 23, 2024, at The Boat Yard in Lehighton Tuesday April 23, 2024. (David Garrett/Special to The Morning Call)
Maria Montero hugs Michelle Stock Mattus, her campaign manager, at her election results watch party Tuesday, April 23, 2025, at The Boat Yard in Lehighton. (David Garrett/Special to The Morning Call)
Maria Montero hugs Michelle Stock Mattus, her campaign manager, at her election results watch party Tuesday, April 23, 2025, at The Boat Yard in Lehighton. (David Garrett/Special to The Morning Call)
Maria Montero's guests wait for primary election results Tuesday, April 23, 2024, at The Boat Yard in Lehighton. (David Garrett/Special to The Morning Call)
Maria Montero's guests wait for primary election results Tuesday, April 23, 2024, at The Boat Yard in Lehighton. (David Garrett/Special to The Morning Call)
Maria Montero, a Republican candidate in the 7th congressional district primary, concedes her election at the watch party Tuesday, April 23, 2024, at The Boat Yard in Lehighton. (David Garrett/Special to The Morning Call)
Maria Montero, a Republican candidate in the 7th congressional district primary, concedes her election at the watch party Tuesday, April 23, 2024, at The Boat Yard in Lehighton. (David Garrett/Special to The Morning Call)
Maria Montero, a Republican candidate in the 7th congressional district primary, concedes her election at the watch party Tuesday, April 23, 2024, at The Boat Yard in Lehighton. (David Garrett/Special to The Morning Call)
Dellicker said he was also proud of how he ran the campaign, which he said stayed clear of the gutter.
“And we want to demonstrate that we can be statesmen,” he said. “We want to demonstrate that we can act with civility. We don’t like to lose. But I tell you what, and I’ve said this to (wife) Susan, just about every day for the past three or four months, I was approaching this election like my country depended upon me winning and I worked with heart and it meant that much to me and my family. But as I went about doing this business, I knew that everything was ultimately outside of my control. It all comes down to who the Lord wants to put in positions of authority.”
Kevin Dellicker, who was seeking the Republican nomination in the 7th congressional district, talks with supporters prior to race results Tuesday, April 23, 2024, during an election night watch party at Madeline's in Fogelsville. (Jane Therese / Special to The Morning Call)
Kevin Dellicker, who was seeking the Republican nomination in the 7th congressional district, speaks with supporters prior to race results Tuesday, April 23, 2024, during an election night watch party at Madeline's in Fogelsville. (Jane Therese / Special to The Morning Call)
Kevin Dellicker, who was seeking the Republican nomination in the 7th congressional district, gives his concession speech Tuesday, April 23, 2024, during an election night watch party at Madeline's in Fogelsville. (Jane Therese / Special to The Morning Call)
Kevin Dellicker, who was seeking the Republican nomination in the 7th congressional district, gives his concession speech Tuesday, April 23, 2024, during an election night watch party at Madeline's in Fogelsville. (Jane Therese / Special to The Morning Call)
Kevin Dellicker, who was seeking the Republican nomination in the 7th congressional district, gives his concession speech Tuesday, April 23, 2024, during an election night watch party at Madeline's in Fogelsville. (Jane Therese / Special to The Morning Call)
Kevin Dellicker, who was seeking the Republican nomination in the 7th congressional district, gives his concession speech Tuesday, April 23, 2024, during an election night watch party at Madeline's in Fogelsville. (Jane Therese / Special to The Morning Call)
Susan and husband Kevin Dellicker, who was seeking the Republican nomination in the 7th congressional district, talk prior to race results Tuesday, April 23, 2024, during an election night watch party at Madeline's in Fogelsville. (Jane Therese / Special to The Morning Call)
Kevin Dellicker, who was seeking the Republican nomination in the 7th congressional district, speaks with supporters prior to race results Tuesday, April 23, 2024, during an election night watch party at Madeline's in Fogelsville. (Jane Therese / Special to The Morning Call)
Steve Gerkovich of Lower Nazareth applauds Kevin Dellicker, who was seeking the Republican nomination in the 7th congressional district but lost Tuesday, April 23, 2024, during an election night watch party at Madeline's in Fogelsville. (Jane Therese / Special to The Morning Call)
Sheryl and husband Steve Gerkovich of Lower Nazareth applaud Kevin Dellicker, who was seeking the Republican nomination in the 7th congressional district but lost Tuesday, April 23, 2024, during an election night watch party at Madeline's in Fogelsville. (Jane Therese / Special to The Morning Call)
Samuel Chin of the Liddell Group, left, and Kevin Dellicker, who was seeking the Republican nomination in the 7th congressional district, look over race results Tuesday, April 23, 2024, during an election night watch party at Madeline's in Fogelsville. (Jane Therese / Special to The Morning Call)
Ray French of Hanover Twp., left, and Linda Swankoski of Schnecksville watch race results of Kevin Dellicker who was seeking the Republican nomination in the 7th congressional district, Tuesday, April 23, 2024, during an election night watch party at Madeline's in Fogelsville. (Jane Therese / Special to The Morning Call)
Kevin Dellicker, one of three candidates vying for the Republican nomination for Congress in the 7th District, arrives Tuesday, April 23, at his election night watch party at Madeline’s Restaurant in Upper Macungie.
