BETHLEHEM, Pa. — After nearly pulling off a massive upset in the 2022 Republican primary, Kevin Dellicker is mounting a second campaign for the Lehigh Valley's upcoming congressional race.
Dellicker, an intelligence officer in the Pennsylvania Air National Guard, announced his candidacy for next year's 7th Congressional District race Monday morning, saying he wanted to protect the GOP's narrow majority in the U.S. House.
- Kevin Dellicker, of Heidelberg Township, also ran in the 2022 Republican primary
- He was defeated in the primary by a slim margin by Lisa Scheller
- Dellicker serves as an intelligence officer with the Pennsylvania Air National Guard
"What Washington needs is less talking heads and more leaders who will roll up their sleeves and work to bring common sense solutions that benefit our families and communities," Dellicker, of Heidelberg Township in Lehigh County, said in a prepared statement.
Dellicker entered the 2022 race at an apparent disadvantage. He had never run for office before and was facing Lisa Scheller, one of the best known Republicans in the Lehigh Valley. Scheller previously served on the Lehigh County Board of Commissioners, had nearly defeated Democratic incumbent Susan Wild in 2020 and, as the owner of an international pigment company, had millions of dollars at her disposal.
But Dellicker ran an aggressive campaign and nearly claimed the Republican nomination for himself. He ran to Scheller's right on abortion, calling for a human life amendment to the Constitution. He also heavily criticized her ties to China. For decades, Scheller's family business, Silberline Manufacturing, had shrunk its stateside workforce while building new factories overseas.
The criticisms were nearly enough for Dellicker to win the GOP primary. Despite being outspend by a nearly 6-to-1 margin in the primary, Dellicker came within 500 votes of besting Scheller for the nomination. He won Lehigh and Carbon counties but fell too far behind in Northampton County to pull off the upset.
"What Washington needs is less talking heads and more leaders who will roll up their sleeves and work to bring common sense solutions that benefit our families and communities."Kevin Dellicker, candidate in 7th Congressional District
Democrats took notice of his campaign. After not bringing up Scheller's business practices in the 2020 congressional race, attack ads linking Scheller to China filled mailboxes and the airwaves ahead of the 2022 general election. Ultimately, Democratic incumbent Susan Wild won last November by less than 2 percentage points.
Now, Dellicker is running as a more established candidate in what could be a more crowded Republican field. Maria Montero, a member of former Gov. Tom Corbett's administration, has declared her candidacy with the FEC. Her campaign does not appear to have a social media presence or a website, and she has not responded to requests for comment.
State Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R - Lehigh, is also believed to be considering a campaign for PA-7. He's spent a decade representing parts of western Lehigh County in Harrisburg. He previously considered a campaign for Congress in 2018 but backed out after the state Supreme Court threw out the old congressional district map for being too gerrymandered.
The primary winner will take on Wild, the former Allentown solicitor who has twice defended the battleground district. In an era of hyper-partisanship, Wild presents herself as a moderate who prefers to reach across the aisle to pass legislation when possible. However, her voting record in the narrowly divided U.S. House has closely aligned with Democratic leaders, drawing criticism from conservatives back home.
Whoever emerges from the GOP primary will enter one of the most competitive races in America. Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District — which includes Carbon, Lehigh and Northampton counties as well as a sliver of Monroe County — is one of the few toss-ups in the nation. Last year's campaign was among the most expensive House races in the country, and both parties have vowed once again to commit enormous resources to next year's race.
