This article is made possible through Spotlight PA’s partnership with NOTUS, a nonpartisan news organization that covers government and politics with the fresh eyes of early career journalists and the expertise of veteran reporters.
BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Some voters in Pennsylvania think Democrats have a Washington problem.
Which is why it was a little confusing that Democrat Bob Brooks, a former firefighter backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, was hardly the main attraction at his own campaign rally Sunday.
The congressional candidate addressed roughly 150 attendees at the United Steelworkers Union Hall here. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and then House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries followed Brooks — rather than serving as the warm-up to their featured candidate.
“I’m a little angry with the way they’ve inserted themselves in local races,” Ian Carlis of Upper Saucon Township told NOTUS. He said that in the Democratic primary, he’d supported Brooks’ opponent Ryan Crosswell. “Then the national people and Josh Shapiro inserted themselves in the race and turned it.”
Democrats are trying to make every competitive House race focus on affordability. The lineup at the rally illustrated a broader strategy, and one that comes with potential risks: National leaders want to have a big imprint on local elections, even as voters express skepticism over Washington’s input.
Brooks won a hotly contested primary in May for Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District and will now face Republican Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, who flipped the seat when Donald Trump was at the top of the ballot in 2024. The evenly divided district is rated a toss-up, according to The Cook Political Report.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has suffered several losses in primaries it has weighed in on, underscoring some of the frustration voters have with a national thumb on the scale.
Democrats aren’t the only ones who have a Washington problem. Four current House Republicans have lost their bids for statewide office this year. Rep. Dusty Johnson, who ran for governor of South Dakota, pointed to the attacks on career politicians as a “really potent argument” that he was unable to fight against.
In Pennsylvania on Sunday, some locals came to get a sense of how in sync national politicians are with their own needs and concerns.
“It’s more so like, what are the headlines they’re talking about?” said Meg Kane, 42, who described her party affiliation as “frustrated.” She also wanted to know “what they think are important” and how much that aligns with what voters see as important.
Local politicians also acknowledged that their national counterparts haven’t always been in lockstep with their community.
“I think that Democrats at the national level have finally realized that we need to get the economic message out, and that really resonates here locally. Some of the other social issues need to take a back seat,” Lori McFarland, chair of the Lehigh County Democratic Committee, told NOTUS.
Carmen Bell, the second vice chair of the county party, said there’s “always some massaging” that can be done to the national message.
“Regardless of what the national message is, we could talk about being a big tent, but when we get into these small communities, we have to actually listen to the people who are there and say, ‘What’s resonating with you?’”
Jeffries’ message, unsurprisingly, centered on affordability. But he also made some day-one promises, 100 days out from the November midterms.
“We’re going to cut down on corrupt price gouging. We’re going to clean up the mess at the United States Supreme Court. And we’re going to ban the president, vice president and members of Congress from trading stocks,” he said before vowing action on two additional topics that have motivated Democrats.
“We can vote for an America that keeps our promise to our cherished seniors by protecting your Social Security and your Medicare. We can vote for America when we release all of the Epstein files.”
Jeffries’ highly charged speech did get the most reaction from the audience. And Brooks said he didn’t mind being the warm-up act, either.
“I was very cool with introducing,” he said.
McFarland, the local party chair, argued that it isn’t national Democrats who are hurting the party’s message.
“I think the national level has gotten that message. I don’t think these democratic socialists have,” she said. “And they’re the ones that I think are throwing a wrench into a coordinated, unified message because they’re more worried about some of those other social issues that we all embrace, but that’s not our No. 1.”