Bob Brooks, the Democratic challenger for Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District, pulled out of the only debate between himself and Republican incumbent Ryan Mackenzie amid sparring over a new attack ad.
Brooks and Mackenzie were slated to record a debate Wednesday on WFMZ's Business Matters program with host Tony Iannelli. It was the only debate the candidates had agreed to after declining similar invitations with PBS39 and Blue Ridge 13.
But things started to unravel Sunday when the Brooks campaign sent a cease and desist letter to the Mackenzie campaign, demanding it pull down a new ad. In it, the Mackenzie campaign alleges Brooks violated state law by dropping his workers' compensation coverage at his lawn care company.
"His employees lost coverage, but Brooks? He got paid," the narrator says.
The Brooks campaign denies the claim, saying Brooks Lawn Care had no employees between Nov. 30, 2017 and Dec. 28, 2021. State law doesn't require small businesses provide coverage for partners and sole proprietors, so there was no violation, according to the letter.
"You are now on notice that these statements are false and defamatory. Any further broadcast or distribution of them is publication with knowledge of falsity that will be regarded as actual malice," read a letter from James C. Lamb, the Brooks campaign's counsel, to the Mackenzie campaign.
Mackenzie's team doubled down on the ad Monday morning, noting that Brooks' son identified himself as foreman at Brooks Lawn Care on his LinkedIn account during that period.
The statement also noted Brooks' past legal battles with his family. A 2005 loan from his former in-laws turned into a $162,000 lawsuit this February. Brooks initially failed to disclose the debt on his statement of financial interest with U.S. House and settled the case in September.
"Bob Brooks is calling his son a liar and accusing him of fabricating his resume. Bob's willingness to repeatedly betray his own family members is absolutely disgusting," said Mackenzie campaign manager Andres Weller.
By the afternoon, Brooks spokesman Benny Stanislawski announced that Brooks was pulling out of the debate. Between the attack ad and Mackenzie's efforts to have the U.S. Attorney General investigate him, Brooks would not give Mackenzie a platform to spread his slander, Stanislawski said.
"Bob has been and will continue sharing his plan to fight corruption in Washington and lower costs for working families everyday on the campaign trail," he said.
Brooks did offer to conduct a 30-minute interview with Iannelli. Denise Maiatico, vice president of Public Policy and External Affairs at the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, said there were no plans to accept that offer as of Monday afternoon. The chamber produces Business Matters.
Challenging cycle for Republicans
Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District is widely viewed as one of the nation's most contested battlegrounds. The seat represents Carbon, Lehigh and Northampton counties plus a sliver of Monroe County.
The last three PA-7 races were each decided by less than 3 percentage points; Mackenzie won in 2024 by a single point. Many political observers have viewed Mackenzie as one of the most vulnerable incumbents in Congress this cycle.
However, polling suggests the midterm election could prove disastrous for Republicans. President Donald Trump's approval ratings are in the tank as voters express frustration with cost-of-living expenses and gas prices. Democrats appear to be running neck-and-neck with Republicans in U.S. Senate races in Kansas and Texas – seats Republicans have controlled for decades.
Similar trends appear to be afoot in the Lehigh Valley. A Franklin & Marshall College poll released last month found Brooks leading the race by 5 percentage points. The poll had a margin of error of 5.8 points. The Cook Political Report moved the PA-7 race from "Toss Up" to "Leans Democrat."
Brooks has touted his blue-collar bona fides on the campaign trail, saying Washington needs fewer professional politicians and more working people in the halls of Congress. However, his speaking style has come back to bite him at times.
After Brooks pulled out of the debate, the Mackenzie campaign alleged the cease and desist letter was nothing but an exercise in dodging questions.
"Just as he's tried to run out the clock on his debts in court, he's trying to run out the clock on voters. If Bob Brooks doesn't think he's capable of debating, he's not capable of being a member of Congress," Weller said in a statement.
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