ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Republican Ryan Mackenzie declared victory early Wednesday in the Lehigh Valley’s battleground congressional district, flipping one of the most coveted House seats in the nation.
An ecstatic crowd of diehard supporters cheered on as Mackenzie thanked his supporters for their tireless efforts. Mackenzie won against Democratic U.S. Rep. Susan Wild despite being outspent by millions of dollars by the three-term incumbent.
“We got the truth out through our message to our voters that we are going to improve the economy, secure our border and bring peace to the world,” Mackenzie said.
Mackenzie has represented parts of Lehigh County in the state House for more than 12 years. He credited that track record with giving voters the confidence that he could bring change to Washington to improve the lives of Lehigh Valley residents.
“Not only was I telling them what I was going to do, I also was able to show them what I had done. That gives people more confidence that you’re going to be able to execute on those things,” he said.
As of 1:30 a.m., the Pennsylvania election website showed Mackenzie leading Wild by more than 6,000 votes in Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District.
“Not only was I telling them what I was going to do, I also was able to show them what I had done."Ryan Mackenzie
Should he pull off the victory, he’ll be the first Republican to represent the region since Charlie Dent resigned in 2018.
A crowd of about 40 diehard supporters broke into a sporadic chant of “It’s all over!” at the Americus Hotel in Center City Allentown.
At its peak, about 150 people expressed cautious optimism as former President Donald Trump, Senate challenger David McCormick and eventually Mackenzie pulled ahead as results trickled in.
A few blocks down Hamilton Street, the Wild campaign’s watch party at the Da Vinci Science Center petered out after midnight. While Wild addressed the crowd of more than 300 supporters at her arrival, she did not make public comments before leaving for the night.
A Wild campaign spokeswoman did not immediately return a call for comment.
In a district known for favoring moderates, each candidate in the capaign attempted to paint their rival as an extremist.
Mackenzie has worked to tie Wild to President Joe Biden, blaming them for the influx of illegal crossings on the southern border and the high costs of everyday goods.
Wild, meanwhile, attacked Mackenzie’s voting record in the state House. Mackenzie voted for measures to ban abortions after 20 weeks without exceptions for rape and incest. She also called him an election denier, pointing to a legal brief he joined seeking to overturn Pennsylvania’s election results in 2020.
The Lehigh Valley’s congressional race has gained national attention for being one of the most contested U.S. House seats in the nation. Outside groups funneled millions of dollars into the race in a bid to influence voters.
Leaders of both parties made multiple visits to the region to rally support for their preferred candidate. Those visits extended into Tuesday morning when House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, glad-handed voters outside a Bethlehem Township polling place.
The House has been narrowly divided in recent years, making the handful of swing districts around the country crucial to setting the legislative agenda in Congress.
As usual, the results were razor thin. Mackenzie was on track to eke out a 1 point win over Wild. In 2022, Wild defeated Republican challenger Lisa Scheller by less than 2 points.
Reporters Jay Bradley and Will Oliver contributed to this report.
