Crosswell, Brooks lead Democratic fundraising for 7th Congressional District But are behind GOP incumbent Mackenzie Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Mark Pinsley. Ryan Crosswell and Bob Brooks are the top fundraisers among the five candidates seeking the 2026 Democratic nomination in the 7th Congressional District, according to third-quarter campaign finance reports filed Wednesday. Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, the Republican who is running for a second term, continues to have a large edge in fundraising, ending the period with more cash than the five Democrats combined ($1,434,443 to $1,147,687). The three other Democratic candidates are Carol Obando-Derstine, Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure and Lehigh County Controller Mark Pinsley. Last November, Mackenzie defeated three-term Democratic incumbent Susan Wild, with 50.5% of the vote. Wild opted against running next year and is backing Obando-Derstine. The 2024 race for the 7th District, which comprises Carbon, Lehigh and Northampton counties and a small portion of Monroe, was the most expensive House race in Pennsylvania, according to Armchair Lehigh Valley’s analysis of campaign finance data. The campaign committees for Mackenzie and Wild spent about $10.6 million, with Wild racking up $8.9 million to Mackenzie’s $1.7 million. Independent spending in support of and opposition to both candidates brought the total spent on the election to more than $37 million. The 2026 election likely would see similar amounts of money spent in a contest that yet again is considered pivotal to which party controls the U.S. House. The third-quarter campaign finance reports covered the period from July 1 to Sept. 30. Ryan Mackenzie The Mackenzie for Congress campaign brought in $456,756. The bulk of his contributions – $244,448 – came from individuals while political committees kicked in $103,777, according to a campaign finance report filed by the Mackenzie for Congress Committee. The report also listed $103,130 in transfers from authorized committees. For the third quarter period that ended Sept. 30, individual contributors include Herman Wallace of AB Supply ($5,000); John Dowd of Lehighton ($3,500); Tina Dowd, owner of Sundance Vacations ($3,500); Aneal Krishnan of Virginia ($3,500); Lee Butz, board chairman of Alvin H. Butz ($3,500); Richard Uihlen, CEO of U-Line ($3,500), Charles Mackenzie, the candidate’s father ($1,000); Richard Koze of Kay Builders ($1,000); and Allentown developer Nat Hyman ($1,000). Committee contributions include $5,000 each from the National Automobile Association, the Abraham Lincoln PAC, American Revival PAC, the NEW House PAC and In the Arena PAC. Other contributions include $2,000 each from the committees of Republican House members: Speaker Mike Johnson; Brad Knott, Clay Higgins, Tim Burchett and Jake Ellzey. Mackenzie’s campaign spent $203,851 and $12,766 on refunds and listed $11,434 in debt owed by his campaign. The bulk of his expenses went for fundraising and consulting. The report also lists spending $3,936 on United Airlines travel, $1,847 on lodging in Whitefish, Montana, $1,159 for car rental in Montana and $145 on American Airlines. Mackenzie’s campaign said the expenses were related to a fundraiser with House leadership, including Rep. Steve Scalise, the House majority leader. Mackenzie started the year with $108,240 in cash. Since January, he has raised $1,817,702. That includes $718,713 from individuals, $5,000 from party committees, $489,217 from other committees and $706,596 in transfers from authorized committees. He spent a total of $553,229 and gave $30,509 in refunds and $11,000 in other disbursements. Ryan Crosswell Ryan Crosswell is a former federal prosecutor who grew up in Schuylkill County and now lives in Allentown. The Crosswell for Congress campaign committee brought in $380,128 in the third-quarter. His contributions include $357,471 from individuals and $10,050 from political committees such as PACs. The total also includes $12,606 in authorized transfers from other committees. Crosswell spent $200,340, mostly for payroll, consulting and technical services. The campaign listed owing $5,000 to Blue Win Strategies for digital media consulting and $893 to Crosswell for gas reimbursement. He had $433,791 left in the bank. Individual donors include Tamara Tabell of Pittsburgh ($3,500); Bethlehem attorney Martin Cohen ($3,500); Lily Lok of New York ($3,500); Brian Brook of San Diego ($3,000); Mary Blasy of New York ($2,500); Joseph Fitzpatrick of the Fitzpatrick, Lentz & Bubba law firm ($1,000); and Galen Godby of Allentown ($1,000). Crosswell received $5,000 each from Votevets and Crosspartisan PAC. Since he entered the race in June, Crosswell raised $701,108 from individuals and committees and saw $12,606 in authorized transfers. He spent $267,316. Bob Brooks Bob Brooks is a retired Bethlehem firefighter and president of the state Professional Fire Fighters Association. In the two months since he announced his candidacy on Aug. 26, Brooks raised $308,259, spent $64,644 and was left with $243,615. Individual contributions totaled $265,759, with at least $28,480 coming from more than five dozen firefighters or people affiliated with firefighter groups, reflecting connections he has made over the years. Contributors live not only in the Lehigh Valley and Pennsylvania but also in states across the country, including New York, Massachusetts, California, Illinois, North Carolina and Washington. Brooks gave his campaign $3,500. Political committees and PACs gave his campaign $39,000, including Pennsylvania Energy Resources Group PAC ($1,000); Service Employees International Union Committee on Political Education ($5,000); McKenzie River PAC, associated with U.S. Rep. Valerie Hoyle, a Democrat from Oregon, whose father was a firefighter ($8,000); Progressive Voters of America ($20,000), a PAC affiliated with U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who has endorsed Brooks. More than a dozen state lawmakers or their campaign committees, none from the Lehigh Valley, gave a total of $10,750. Friends of Bryan Callahan, a Bethlehem City Council member, gave $300. The largest expense – $40,025 – went to Ascend Digital of Washington, D.C., for advertising. Carol Obando-Derstine Carol Obando-Derstine is a former PPL supervisor and an aide to former U.S. Sen. Bob Casey. She was recruited by Wild to run for Congress. The Carol for PA campaign committee brought in $120,932 in total contributions and spent $118,177. Obando-Derstine loaned her campaign $12,500. She had $127,513 in cash on Sept. 30. Contributions included $100,913 from individuals and $19,000 from political committees. Obando-Derstine herself contributed $1,019 in the third quarter. Individual donors include Chris Martin of Martin Guitar ($3,000); Matthew Green of Hellertown ($3,000); Janet Gross of Allentown ($2,000); Hannah Henderson of Bryn Mawr ($1,500) and John Grogan of Philadelphia ($1,000). She received $5,000 each from the 314 Action Victory Fund, CHC Bold PAC, and Emily’s List and $2,000 from Democrats Reshaping America (Dream PAC). Since her May campaign announcement, Obando-Derstine has raised $331,294 and spent $203,780. Lamont McClure Lamont McClure is finishing his second four-year term as Northampton County executive. He declined to seek reelection to a third term to run for Congress instead. The McClure for PA campaign committee raised $229,460 in the third quarter, with most of that coming from his personal loan of $200,000 on Sept. 17. He received a total of $26,960 from individuals and $2,500 from the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers Campaign Assistance Fund. His campaign spent $64,644, with $8,000 going to Public Policy Polling, Raleigh, N.C. The company conducted a poll at the end of July that showed McClure with 23% of voters preferring him. The other four Democrats polled in the single digits. The poll noted that 58% of 518 likely Democratic voters were undecided; it had a margin of error of +/- 4.3%. Since the start of his campaign, McClure has raised a total of $458,846 and spent $170,478, leaving a balance of $288,368. Mark Pinsley Mark Pinsley, the Lehigh County controller, raised $72,606 in the two months since he announced his candidacy on Aug. 4. Large contributors of $3,500 each included Paul Egerman, Weston, Mass; James Kline and Kathleen Kline, both of Easton; and Scott Schwartz, Macungie. He also received $500 from the Committee to Elect Jon Irons, the Lehigh County commissioner who is in the middle of his first four-year term, and $1,000 from state Rep. Joshua Siegel. Siegel, who is the Democratic nominee for Lehigh County executive in the Nov. 4 election, worked in the controller’s office under Pinsley. (Siegel also contributed $1,000 to McClure’s campaign in the second quarter of the year.) The Pinsley for Congress campaign committee spent $18,706, with most of the money going to 1833 Group, Oak Brook, Illinois ($8,624), for consulting; and charges to a Capital One credit card ($13,923, which has an outstanding balance of $6,623).