Today's one-liner: “In a republican nation whose citizens are to be led by reason and persuasion and not by force, the art of reasoning becomes of first importance.” T Jefferson
I've seen some of Arnaud Armstrong's comments as Communications Director for Congressman Ryan Mackenzie, who is facing a tough battle against blue headwinds that just may blow Democratic challenger Bob Brooks into office. Some have been downright bizarre, like his explanation when Mackenzie was accused of embellishing his career in the private sector. Rather than dismissing this DCCC story as clearly false, which it was, Armstrong gave it weight by saying that these were "passing mentions, mostly from third parties." But now a much uglier story has surfaced. During his days at UPitt, Armstrong was the "editor" of an online conservative leaning website called Polis Media that decided it would be fun
Members of that website shared memes including jokes about statutory rape, the Holocaust, a young African-American boy looking at a piece of cotton candy and saying, 'You mean I don’t have to pick it and I can eat it?!'"
Armstrong gave the incredible explanation that they "were shared with facetious intent and certainly not reflective of the beliefs of those who shared them.” They were joking, so it's OK, right? He also called it an experiment to see "what the worst of the internet could produce."
He may find out soon when his boss loses a close election because of his (at-best) juvenile antics.
UPDATED 10:15 PM: The original version of this story indicated that Armstrong himself posted these tropes. That is inaccurate. He was part of the group chat and was the editor of this site.
The Washington Free Beacon, a right-wing online news source, appears to have Pa. 07's Democratic Congressional nominee Bob Brooks in their gunsights. Last month, it reported that Brooks, a former union firefighter, considers professional firefighters who act as volunteers in their community, are "scabs" and "shitbags." Well, I'm sure Easton appreciated all the volunteer firefighters who responded to a recent fire in Easton. So do Northampton and Lehigh County, which offers small rebates to volunteer firefighters on their property taxes. Now it has a new story, this time about Brooks and his lawn care business.
Brooks has touted his lawn care business in his Congressional race in an attempt to portray himself as an ordinary guy. But according to the Beacon, he cancelled his worker's comp insurance in 2017 and had no insurance for workers who might get injured for four years. Moreover, during that period, his own son was working for him and managing six-man crews.
Pa. law requires worker's comp insurance for all employees, part-time or full-time, family or not.
This is the latest shoe to drop from a flawed candidate who was picked by the national party, not regular voters.
Brooks' opponent in November is incumbent Ryan Mackenzie.
As reported in The Hill, Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R.-Pa.07) is one of four Republicans who have teamed up with Democrats to force a House vote on a three-year extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies. Without them, premiums will soar an average of 114%.
Mackenzie explained his vote in a news release.
“My position has been clear throughout this process — we need both short-term relief to bring down prices and longer-term reforms to make healthcare in America more affordable for everyone. In order to achieve these goals, I have opted for the only remaining option in the House — a three-year extension of the enhanced credits, because this will keep the conversation alive.”
Mackenzie, as most of you know, represents the Lehigh Valley and part of Carbon County. He insists that "the Affordable Care Act remains broken," and that he supports bipartisan legislation (Commonground 2025) that would both extend subsidies while enacting measures designed to stop fraud.
It's nice to see a member of Congress who is willing to think independently and is evidence that the stranglehold that Trump has held on Republicans is loosening.
President Donald Trump's "big, beautiful bill", designed to implement his domestic agenda, has made it through the House by a single vote. Whether it makes it through the Senate is another matter. It is highly doubtful that it will survive in its current form, especially since some Republican senators find it unacceptable in its current form for differing reasons.
Locally, Congressman Ryan Mackenzie voted for the House version, saying it provides "commonsense solutions that people across the Lehigh Valley are counting on."
The house version includes (1) a $4 trillion tax cut which does include lower marginal income rates, an increase in the standard deduction, no taxes on tips and no taxes on social security; (2) Medicaid recipients without disabilities will have to work, which could reduce federal spending by $800 billion; (3) changes in Obamacare designed to make it more expensive, with reduced subsidies; (4) an end to most tax breaks, for clean energy, excepting nuclear energy; (5) An end to food stamps (SNAP) for people between 18 and 64 with no job, and a shifting to the states of some of the cost; (6) major increases in defense spending, including a Golden Dome similar to what Israel employs; (7) reductions in student loans; and (5) a $4 trillion increase in the national debt.
Mackenzie has two Democratic opponents in next year's Congressional race. Here's how they reacted.
Carol Obando-Derstine: "While working families slept, Ryan Mackenzie voted for Trump’s billionaire tax breaks and backed a bill that will rip healthcare from nearly 24,000 people in our district, threaten SNAP for 25,000 more, and keep driving up prices at our expense. It’s a cruel betrayal. While Mackenzie helps billionaires like Elon Musk and leaves our district behind, I’ve spent my career fighting for the families hit hardest by these cuts. I’m running for Congress to deliver real solutions and put working families first."
Lamont McClure: "In the dead of night, Ryan Mackenzie cast the deciding vote to stab working families in the back—supporting the largest Medicaid cuts in history. Ripping away healthcare from millions of Americans, all so his billionaire buddies get another tax break. It’s cowardly. It’s cruel. And I’m running for Congress to make damn sure he never gets to do it again."
It's official. Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure announced late yesterday afternoon that he's seeking the Democratic nomination to Congress' Pa. 7th District, currently held by Republican Ryan Mackenzie. He did so in an after-hours announcement from the courthouse rotunda before a crowd of at least 100 supporters, including a Who's Who of local Democratic leaders, county staffers and an alphabet soup of trade union leaders.
Up until this point, McClure has served in county government both as a Council member and as Executive. He was initially appointed to a County Council vacancy in 2006 and thereafter won and held the seat for two terms. He was elected County Executive in 2017 and is in the final year of his second term. He previously announced he would not be seeking a third term. Now we know why.
As Executive, McClure steered the county through a pandemic and a statewide shutdown. He insisted that county offices remain open and found a way to funnel $25 million to small businesses in the county that were hanging by a thread. He's never proposed a tax increase and actually cut taxes in 2022 while simultaneously reducing the size of county government by nearly a third. He restored medical benefits to employees after they had been cut by the pervious Executive.
As a member of county council, he was at the forefront of the battle to save the county's nursing home, which he has always called "a moral obligation." As Executive, he made sure it is now also county operated instead of through a private administrator. He has also persuaded Council to start a daycare at the nursing home for the children of employees.
He has had failures, too. Most notably, there were problems in the 2019 and 2023 elections. Though the county purchased the best voting machine available - the ExpressVote XL- the vendor failed to align about a third of the machines before the 2019 election and botched the coding of the machines prior to the 2023 election. He has also had to deal with a County Council that, unlike many legislative bodies, has been flexing its biceps in a much-needed demonstration that there are actually three, and not one, branch of government. Most of them were no-shows at yesterday's announcement.
Before Mackenzie's 1% victory last year, the seat had been held by Susan Wild. Whether she herself is running is unclear, but I'm told that she has been beating the bushes to find a woman with a STEM background to take on Mackenzie. She was MIA at yesterday's announcement.
Susan Lawless, who chairs Hanover Township's Board of Supervisors and was one of the introductory speakers, cited McClure's accomplishments but said there was one overriding reason to support him. "He can win," she declared.
McClure condemned "the chaos that Trump and Elon Musk are causing in Washington, D.C. today. It's completely unnecessary." He said he was able to cut taxes and reduce the growth of county government by 31% over 7 years "without creating chaos. We don't need a bully like Elon Musk to come into the courthouse and fire people. We did this in a sensible manner. And not only did we do it in a sensible manner, we did it without cutting core services. In fact, we expanded core services."
He also discussed what he called Ryan Mackenzie's "values." "Mackenzie has shown us a little bit about what he values ... Let's take his focus on Medicare repeal. That's a value, right? Let's take his vote on Medicaid repeal. That's a value. He's showing his values. His assault on Americans' health care, he's demonstrating his values."
"What has he said to condemn the pardon of the January 6 insurrectionists?" McClure asked. "He's always lecturing me about support of law enforcement. By the way, I support law enforcement. Since I've been county executive, we have funded the police and fire and EMS to the tune of $2 million despite the fact that that is not part of our core responsibilities. So we support law enforcement, but Ryan Mackenzie did not criticize President Trump when he pardoned those insurrectionists. That demonstrates his values.
He also asked why Mackenzie has failed to criticize "Putin's aggressive invasion of Ukraine. I have not. Have you heard him say 'I stand with Ukraine' onto victory. I have not. But I stand with Ukraine onto victory. These are my core values."
McClure said he learned his values from his late father, a former director of Carbon County Housing Authority, "who lives on in my heart every day." From his father, he learned that "one of the most dignifying things in life was to be able to provide a roof over your family's head."
According to conservative British tabloid DailyMail, the Republican nominee in the Pa.-07 Congressional district, Ryan Mackenzie, understated his age by eight years on dating app Tinder. His campaign notes he was neither married nor engaged at the time.
Now, on the 2d anniversary of the Supreme Court's reversal of Roe v. Wade, the DailyMail reports that over 100 women in the Pa.-7 Congressional are demanding an apology from Mackenzie, something he failed to do when initially confronted.
The letter claims, "We worry, if you cannot take accountability for your actions on something as small as a dating app, that you will not be able to honorably conduct yourself as our representative in Washington."
I get that lying about your age to pick up younger women is wrong. But what really bothers me about Mackenzie is his smile. They blind me like the hi-beams on a late model truck,.
PoliticsPa lists four Pa. Congressional incumbents as vulnerable in their re-election bids. They include Matt Cartwright (Pa.-8), Susan Wild (Pa.-7), Chris Deluzio (Pa.-18) and Scott Perry (Pa.-10). All but Perry, a MAGA hardliner, are Democrats.
Though Wild has a cash advantage over challenger Ryan Mackenzie, the margin of victory by which she has won in the last three elections has decreased.
US House Speaker Mike Johnson was in the Lehigh Valley this week to promote Republican nominee Ryan Mackenzie's quest for the Pa. 7th Congressional seat currently held by Democrat Susan Wild. One of his stops was at Cetronia Ambulance Corps, where Johnson and Mackenzie provided EMS staff with coffee and doughnuts in honor of EMS week. Wild apparently slammed the duo for using Cetronia as a prop “touting their supposed ‘support’ of emergency services.”
Mackenzie has issued a news release that fires back at Wild. “Susan Wild continues her disturbing pattern of making offensive statements. This time she chose to disparage the son of a first responder - who was injured in the line of duty - for visiting and thanking EMS professionals for their work during National EMS Week. She should be ashamed of the offensive comments put out by her campaign, and she should immediately retract her statement and apologize.”
As far as I'm concerned, the Johnson visit does more damage than good. He is a hardline MAGA who just paid fealty to Trump at Mar-a-Lago and outside a Manhattan courtroom. He is currently pushing a bill that requires, not just ID, but proof of citizenship at the polls. Wild could have pointed that out instead of attacking the son of an EMS professional.
Moreover, Mackenzie authored a bill creating the Keystone First Responder Award to honor those who are injured or killed in the line of duty. He also authored a bill to ease the tax burden on fire departments going through a merger.
With a projected 43% of the vote, it appears that Republicans have elected Ryan Mackenzie as their nominee in the race against Susan Wild for the Pa. 7 Congressional seat. Kevin Dellicker snagged 33% of the tally, and Maria Montero finished last with just 25%.
Though arguably the best candidate to face Wild in November, Montero raised far too little money and ran a disorganized campaign. Despite being able to raise money, Dellicker lost Republican support when he failed to endorse Lisa Scheller, who defeated him in the last Congressional race.
Above is a Youtube video of Monday night's debate among three Republicans seeking their party's nomination to take on incumbent Democrat Susan Wild in this year's race for Pa.'s 7th Congressional District. They are Kevin Dellicker, Ryan Mackenzie and Maria Montero. The debate was broadcasted by BRC13, located in Lehighton. Here's what was discussed:
How Are You Suited to Represent Carbon County, which was added to Pa.-7? - Dellicker said he spent a great deal of time in Carbon County, white-water rafting in Jim Thorpe and skiing at Blue Mountain. His wife teaches school in Palmerton and many of his relatives live there. Montero grew up in Summit Hill and stated nobody understands more than she does what is needed in Carbon. "We are looking for good jobs, great paying jobs." She would achieve that by cutting taxes and eliminating regulations. Mackenzie said the problems of Carbon County are similar to those in the rest of the district, "a wide open border" and out-of -control spending in D.C.
How would You Encourage Tourism, Especially in the Poconos? - Montero said she has been in the hospitality and tourism industry over the past eight years. She said that she would try to make sure there is clean air and clean water for the Pocono parks. Mackenzie said tourism is something to embrace and promoted it as a member of the state house. Dellicker said there's no place he'd rather be than the Pa.7th, and people should know how wonderful and diverse it is.
How would You Improve Public Transit, especially for Seniors? - Mackenzie said his top priority would be ensuring that social security and Medicare is protected. "We should not be taking those benefits away from them," he noted. Dellicker observed that public transportation is a "real challenge" for seniors in rural areas like Carbin County. But he stressed that runaway inflation is impacting seniors even more. He will cut spending to get inflation under control. Montero believes in limited government, "but the one thing we should do well is infrastructure. That means transportation and good roads.
How Will You Help Veterans Avoid Homelessness and Ensure them a Good Quality of Life? - Dellicker started by pointing out that he spent 28 years in the military. He and his wife actually wrote as book (20% Soldiers) about the reserve component of the military. He vowed to "tackle those issues" for "people who served our country so nobly." Montero has spent three years with a nonprofit whose goal is reducing homelessness. She complained we have spent $100 million in Ukraine, but she wants to spend that money here. MacKenzie stressed that veterans served us when on active duty so the government should serve them with things like special office hours. He also authored the "Start Up For Soldiers" program to help vets start businesses.
Are Women's Rights Under Attack? - Montero pointed out that she's the only candidate who was ever pregnant and who ever delivered a baby, she believes women's health rights are something Americans can ever ignore. "Women deserve to have real choice." She lamented that programs like Real Alternatives, which help women who want to choose life, are being cut. Mackenzie stated he has consistently voted pro life in the state house and to reduce the number of abortions performed in Pa. "It sounds like we're all in agreement," added Dellicker. He said it's a"crazy" to cut thiose programs and then divert the funds to abortion centers. "Thise are the sort of divisive issues we don't need right now ... ."
Top Priority if Elected? - "Building the wall and securing our border," responded Mackenzie. Dellicker wants to get on the Armed Services Committee and fix our military so we can have "true peace through strength." Montero's top prioority is to "secure our borders and protect Americans."
What Can You Do to Provide Quality Education? - Montero believes there should be more technical schools because "not everybody needs to go to college." She also wants to empower parents with a Parents' Bill of Rights, which was opposed by Susan Wild. Mackenzie believes the feral government should not be expected to solve "our education problems here at home." He does support and has voted for a Parents Bill of Rights on a state and local level. "I'll take it a step further," added Dellicker. "I don't think the federal government should be funding education at all."
How Will You Support Local Business? - MacKenzie has a three-pronged approach: reduce taxes; reduce and streamline regulations; and more workforce training. "If you don't run a small business, I don't think you can possibly understand the burdens that small businesses are under," added Dellicker. Montero agrees with cutting taxes and regulations, but added that the production of natural gas should be encouraged.
Will You Vote Independently or Along Party Lines? - Dellicker pledged independence "because I am not a career politician. ... I don't need to go to Congress to enhance my career or my livelihood." Montero would ask herself two questions before voting on an issue: is it constitutional; and is it in America's best interests? Mackenzie said government is controlled by a Uniparty and he has voted against his party on things like the gas tax.
Should There Be Age Limits on Those in Office? - Mackenzie opposes an "artificial age limit" on elected officials. Dellicker joked that he is the oldest of the three candidates and would fight any attempt to remove him from the ballot. Montero would support term limits as opposed to an age barrier.
Do You Support Gun Controls? - Dellicker dodged the question, saying only that he is a "law and order" candidate. He added he is a staunch supporter of the Second Amendment. Montero and Mackenzie dodged as well.
Susan Wild's Comment that Carbon County is Drinking the Trump Kool-Aid? "Susan Wild does not respect her constituents," observed Montero. MacKenzie would like to serve Wild kool-aid at her retirement party in November. "What she said is disrespectful to every person sitting in this room and every person watching at home." Dellicker cautioned it will take more than press stunts to defeat Wild. "Remember, she did this two years ago, too."
On Monday, I published complaints that GOP Congressional candidate Kevin Dellicker recently made about primary opponent Ryan Mackenzie. Below is Mackenzie's response:
If the race for Congress in PA-7 weren’t so serious, I would find Kevin Dellicker’s rant of an email last week to be completely laughable. But his statements are either misleading or intentionally deceptive.
There is no doubt that I have very real policy disagreements with Mr. Dellicker. As an American, I’m concerned by the positions he took during this campaign and his failed run for Congress in 2022.
Let’s start with Mr. Dellicker’s complaint about the endorsement I received from Americans For Prosperity (AFP). It seems Mr. Dellicker forgot that he sought AFP’s endorsement. Now that they rejected him, it appears he’s scorned and has chosen to attack AFP directly. Mr. Dellicker also did not mention that I have been endorsed by GOPAC, a conservative organization that has been supportive of President Trump.
The fact that AFP and GOPAC have both endorsed me and my proven, conservative record in the PA House shows I am the only candidate who can unite different factions of today’s Republican Party and am best situated to solidify the support of Republicans through the Primary and General Election.
Mr. Dellicker continued his rant by attacking me for being a dedicated public servant without a military background. It’s a disingenuous attack for him to make for two reasons.
First, let’s look at Mr. Dellicker’s own words from his book: “Don’t get me wrong. There are plenty of great ways to serve your country besides the armed forces… I have no patience for misguided veterans who disparage, disrespect, or denigrate non-veterans just because they never wore the uniform.” This is evidence of an astonishing show of hypocrisy on his part because disparaging, disrespecting, and denigrating my proven and effective service as a conservative State Representative is exactly what Mr. Dellicker is doing.
Second, let’s look at Mr. Dellicker’s record:
Dellicker is on his 3rd attempt at getting into elected office since 2014
Dellicker spent the first 9 years of his career in government as a staff member to liberal Republicans in New York and Pennsylvania
Dellicker claims to be an outsider, but he served as the “Chief Economic Policy Advisor” to the Ridge Administration in Harrisburg that gave the teachers’ union a 25% pension increase, costing taxpayers billions of dollars and driving school property taxes through the roof
For the last 19 years, Dellicker’s consulting business has generated revenue from taxpayer-funded contracts from school districts and local governments (as per his own candidate financial disclosure) - making him a career government contractor personally profiting off taxpayers
In contrast, as a representative elected by my neighbors, I have never voted for a tax increase. I also stood up to my own party to vote no to a gas tax increase, passed important legislation to address illegal immigration, voted for election security measures like Voter ID, and - yes - reformed the pension system that Dellicker broke. Clearly, my neighbors vote based on the belief that what someone does while working on their behalf is what’s most important. On this front, Mr. Dellicker’s record can only be called a failure.
Finally, I take deep offense to Mr. Dellicker twisting my significant differences with him over foreign policy into somehow saying that I am disparaging veterans. I respect the contributions of our veterans and military service members - like my father and grandfather - and Mr. Dellicker. That is why I have a record of supporting veterans’ issues as a legislator, holding special “veterans services hours” in my offices, and authoring the law that created “Startups for Soldiers” - a successful program that has helped thousands of veterans across Pennsylvania as they start new businesses here in the state.
What are our differences on foreign policy? I am opposed to launching new forever wars. I support America First policy positions. By contrast, Mr. Dellicker routinely promotes new U.S. military engagements as a reaction to simmering tensions around the world. In the case of additional funding for the war in Ukraine, Mr. Dellicker has said, repeatedly and on-the-record, that he is supportive, while I am opposed.
Yesterday, I told you the GOP congressional candidate Ryan MacKenzie supports term limits for members of Congress (3 terms for Congressmen and two terms for Senators). I decided to ask his GOP rivals, Kevin Dellicker and Maria Montero. for their positions. At the suggestion of readers, I also asked the Susan Wild campaign.
Dellicker agrees with MacKenzie, adding that state officials should be term-limited as well. "I believe that we should have term limits for all Members of Congress and state elected officials too," he said. "I think our representatives should be citizen-legislators: people who live in the community, acquire real-world experience, serve for a few years, and then go back home to live and work under the laws they’ve enacted. That’s how our founders envisioned our government. And that’s what I’m running to do."
Montero agrees as well. "I have signed onto the U.S. Term Limits Pledge," she tells me. "Its backing is fairly bi-partisan, receiving nearly 80 percent support from across the political spectrum. This pledge highlights the importance of electing not career politicians, but a citizen legislature made up of individuals who understand the struggles of real people and who are committed to representing the values of the 7th Congressional District. If elected I will vote for a Constitutional Amendment to establish term limits in the U.S. Congress. I also support a ban on Members of Congress enriching themselves by trading stocks based on inside information and would vote for additional transparency in grant funding."
I have asked Congress member Sue Wild for her stance as well.
In November, Northampton County voters will decide on term limits for County Council, Controller and Executive. I was initially opposed to term limits for local officials, but was persuaded by readers.
State Rep. Ryan MacKenzie, one of three announced Republicans seeking Lehigh Valley's Congressional seat, has announced that he supports "term limits for elected officials as well as bureaucrats. I will also push to ban members of Congress from trading stocks based on their insider information and demand transparency in grant funding to expose their conflicts of interest."
To be specific, he's support term limits of three terms for Congressman and two terms for US Senators.
MacKenzie also said he would support a ban on insider trading by members of Congress, but that is already illegal. A more important question is whether he supports the Ban Stock Trading Act, which would bar all members of Congress and executive branch from holding or trading in individual stocks, even if they are placed in a so-called blind trust.
Finally, I'm unclear on his statement concerning transparency in grant funding and have asked for clarification.
I have also forwarded MacKenzie's statement to his rivals, Maria Montero and Kevin Dellicker, for any insights they may wish to share.
State Representative Ryan MacKenzie, age 40, today announced he is seeking the Republican nomination for US Congress in Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District. Republicans Kevin Dellicker and Maria Montero have previously announced that they are running as well.
Whoever wins this race will likely face incumbent Sue Wild in the Fall. She has made no formal announcement, but has filed a statement of candidacy with the Federal Elections Commission. She was first elected in 2018.
MacKenzie has introduced what he calls "his 4 Principles For America: Grow Our Economy, Defend Our Values, Secure Our Communities, and Restore Our Freedoms."
MacKenzie, who was first elected State Representative in 2012, but announced he has decided against seeking re-election.
According to his statement, he is "a 9th generation resident of the Lehigh Valley. His ancestors and family members fought in the Revolutionary War and in both World Wars, helped build companies like Hercules Cement that supported families in our area for generations, and served in respected professions like nursing and teaching."
He claims to be a known conservative "feared by the establishment as one of the most effective and proven reformers in government. Ryan didn't just talk - he got our values enacted into law." He claims to have led efforts that have saved $400 million per year at the Department of Labor and Industry.
He is a graduate of Parkland High School and New York University, wherehe graduated with honors. He also has an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Last week, I told you that Allentown Attorney Maria Montero has filed the paperwork to run for U.S. Congress (Pa.-7) as the GOP candidate. Over the weekend, I learned that State Rep. Ryan MacKenzie will be huddling with advisors this week as he ponders dipping his toes in the Potomac River. I also learned that Kevin Dellicker, who was defeated by Lisa Scheller in the last GOP Congressional race, has been booked as a guest by radio host Bobby Gunther Walsh on Wednesday to discuss his plans. He is reportedly backed by developer David Jaindl.
If all three run, which seems increasingly likely, this should make it easier to elect Montero. She can be tagged as a carpetbagger, though she is from this area. She is the sole female.
It should also make it easier for Susan Wild, who can keep her powder dry while Republicans are forced to spend.
UPDATED 12:15 pm: Dellicker announces candidacy! - According to Lehigh Valley Archair, Kevin Dellicker has released a statement announcing his candidacy.
Dellicker's announcement:
"Today, I am announcing my candidacy for Congress in Pennsylvania’s 7th District.
"It's no secret that Washington is broken. While this level of dysfunction may boost TV ratings and fundraising, it hurts our families and communities. What Washington needs is less talking heads and more leaders who will roll up their sleeves and work to bring commonsense solutions that benefit our families and communities. My career as a small business owner, veteran, and military officer has given me the right experience, skillset, and leadership to represent our community and work toward real change and solutions.
"I’m not a professional politician. I’m not looking for a new career in Washington. I’m running to protect and expand the Republican majority, get the job done, and then return home to Germansville. I’m running because this is my home too. I was raised here and my wife Susan and I raised our boys here. We need a voice in Washington who is one of us and will represent all of us.
"I’m excited to connect with the remarkable individuals, families, and small businesses that make our region the great place that it is. I look forward to having real conversations on the issues that matter to us all: strong families, good jobs, and safe communities.”
Ramzi Haddad pleaded guilty last year to expecting preferential treatment in exchange for campaign contributions. His contributions to Allentown Mayor Edwin "Fed Ed" Pawlowski have been documented by the feds, and I have told you about his $1,000 contribution to State Rep. Michael "Darth Voter" Schlossberg. But state records show that he contributed $1,000 to State Rep. Ryan MacKenzie as well, on 6/15/15.
Unlike Darth Voter, MacKenzie returned the money. In fact, he returned $2,000, which must have included $1,000 from a previous year.
MacKenzie rejected tainted money, while Schlossberg is using it to pay himself.
State Rep. Ryan Mackenzie is apparently the sole member of the Lehigh Valley delegation of State Representatives to attend this year's swanky Pennsylvania Society Gala at the Waldorf Astoria. Never mind that Pennsylvania has been able to adopt a budget for the past six months. Never mind the undemocratic message these aristocrats send by dining on oysters in Manhattan, away from the vulgari, instead of doing what they were elected to do.
Although the media has done a remarkably shitty job of taking attendance, I am informed by a state house insider that MacKenzie is the sole House Representative arrogant enough to attend this assemblage of our betters.
Democrats are having great fun with this. Governor Tom Wolf, the millionaire who tries to pretend he's an Everyman, was dishing out bowls of chili.
Locally, State Reps. Mike Schlossberg and Pete Schweyer seved up breakfast to the homeless at Zion's "Liberty Bell" UCC Church.
But last year, Schlossberg thought nothing of spending $1,182 in campaign funds to rent a room at the Waldorf for the Pa Society, along with $250 to rent a tux and $400 for their dinner.
This just in, from state house candidate Patrick Slattery:
Yesterday, Republican activists and former political candidates Mr. Otto Slozer and Mr. John Donches filed a defamation of character suit against me in Lehigh County Court. If you follow the trail of this frivolous lawsuit, it leads right to the backrooms of Harrisburg. The attorney representing Mr. Slozer and Mr. Donches, Mr. Larry Otter, has done extensive work for the House Republican Campaign Committee to remove Democrats from ballots across the commonwealth.
This is the kind of baseless, desperate, and political stunt my opponent, Mr. Ryan Mackenzie, and his friends in Harrisburg use to win elections when voters are rejecting their policies which invade our privacy, allow oil companies to drill wherever they want in our communities, and slash funding to our schools
Mr. Slozer and Mr. Donches are also hosting tonight’s C.E.P.T.A. debate between Mr. Mackenzie and myself. The events of the last 24 hours are proof that an impartial and unbiased debate on the issues is impossible as long as these two men are involved and I will not dignify their partisan circus with my attendance. The event cannot go on as scheduled and should be cancelled immediately. I am willing to debate Mr. Mackenzie any place and any time he sees fit as long as an open and fair exchange can be guaranteed.
Despite having four Republican opponents in the quest for Doug Reicheley's state house seat, Lehigh County resident Ryan Mackenzie filed nearly three times the required amount of petition signatures (300) to qualify for the ballot. The 134th Legislative District consists of parts of Lehigh and Berks counties.
In a news release, Mackenzie claims he filed the most out of any of the candidates pursuing the Reichley seat.
Ryan Mackenzie was born in Allentown, raised in South Whitehall Township, and graduated from Parkland High School. An honors graduate of New York University, he received a dual degree in Finance and International Business and later went on to earn his MBA from Harvard Business School.
Professionally, Mackenzie began his career by working on Pat Toomey’s U.S. Senate campaign in 2004. Mackenzie entered public service in 2007 when he accepted a position at the U.S. Department of Labor. In his most recent position, which he held until leaving to campaign full-time for State Representative, Ryan served as the Director of Policy at the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry.
