NORTH WHITEHALL TOWNSHIP, PA - Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley stumped for Republican congressional candidate Lisa Scheller Wednesday night, highlighting the district’s importance for Republican efforts to flip control of the U.S. House.
Scheller and Haley, a potential Republican candidate in the 2024 presidential election, addressed about 150 donors during the 90-minute private fundraiser at The Club at Twin Lakes, Scheller campaign officials said. Haley endorsed Scheller back in the spring, but Wednesday marked her first appearance in the district.
- Nikki Haley, a potential 2024 Republican presidential candidate, endorsed Lisa Scheller in the Lehigh Valley's congressional race
- Scheller is locked in a close contest with Democratic incumbent Susan Wild
- Congress is tightly divided, and Republicans hope they can flip the U.S. House by winning this battleground district
In brief comments to reporters afterward, Haley said she endorsed Scheller for her willingness to get tough on crime and her desire to boost Pennsylvania’s energy production. Winning Pennsylvania’s hotly contested 7th Congressional District could go a long way toward giving Republicans control of the House, where Democrats hold an eight-seat majority.
“The country is watching because we know the road to the majority is the road to sanity,” Haley said.
“This race is the tip of the spear to take back the House for Republicans. There is so much focus on this race nationally. But right now, if the election were held today, I would prevail in this race.”Republican congressional candidate Lisa Scheller
Scheller is locked in a tight race against Democratic incumbent Susan Wild, and recent polls say it’s too close to call. The district, which consists of Carbon, Lehigh and Northampton counties along with portions of Monroe County, is one of the most high profile political battlegrounds in the country. Campaign finance reports from the end of September show Wild has outraised her opponent $5.8 million to $3.1 million, but Scheller was confident about her chances.
“This race is the tip of the spear to take back the House for Republicans. There is so much focus on this race nationally. But right now, if the election were held today, I would prevail in this race,” she said.
The Wild campaign dismissed Haley's appearance as a distraction from the real issues facing district voters. In a statement, a spokesperson said Scheller has failed to provide policy positions on topics such as abortion.
"Scheller continues to hide behind GOP talking points because she has nothing real to offer Pennsylvanians,” the statement read.
Haley, the former two-term governor of South Carolina, holds a unique place within the Republican Party. She served for two years as Donald Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations, where she advocated for the administration’s policies on the world stage. While she has acknowledged Trump’s defeat in the 2020 election and criticized his behavior during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, she hasn’t completely distanced herself from Trump or his supporters, either.
"Scheller continues to hide behind GOP talking points because she has nothing real to offer Pennsylvanians.”Statement from the campaign of US Rep. Susan Wild, the Democratic incumbent
Ahead of the 2020 primary, Scheller proudly announced she had received Trump’s endorsement. This time around, she’s followed a strategy similar to Haley by courting his supporters but not mentioning Trump. During a debate Friday, Scheller dodged questions about whether she has sought the 45th president’s endorsement this election cycle.
As her fundraiser ended, Scheller sought to reassure donors about the election process, saying their vote would be counted. If they could not make it to the polls, Scheller said they should vote by mail, an election system Trump has accused of being rigged. Pierce Frauenheim, Scheller’s campaign manager, confirmed Scheller was confident in the integrity of the upcoming election.
“The only vote that doesn’t count is the one you don’t cast,” he said.
