Pa. congressional hopeful Bob Brooks picks up Working Families Party endorsement

This is just the latest among a growing number of progressives and establishment Democrats coalescing around Bob Brooks.

With contentious Congressional primaries happening across the country, Democrats of all stripes are lining up behind this union leader and former firefighter to unseat US House Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R-Lehigh).

Bob Brooks, who worked as a firefighter in Bethlehem for 20 years and served as the President of the Pennsylvania Professional Fire Fighters Association, was endorsed by the Working Families Party on Tuesday. Its support will help bolster his credibility with progressives from inside the district and around the country.

“We deserve representatives who come from the working class and will stand up for the working class, and that’s what Bob has done for his entire life and career,” Nick Gavio, Mid-Atlantic Communications Director for the Working Families Party, said in a statement. 

“In Congress, he’ll fight to raise the minimum wage, tax billionaires to fund programs that benefit workers, and get big money and corporate interests out of our politics. The Working Families Party is proud to endorse him.”

Since announcing his campaign last August, Brooks has received support from labor unions across the region and endorsements from Gov. Josh Shapiro, US Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), and US House Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-Allegheny). 

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, a potential presidential candidate in 2028, joined Brooks alongside supporters at Wayerbacher Brewery in Easton.

The Working Families Party is a third party dedicated to electing progressive lawmakers on the local, state and federal levels. In the Lehigh Valley, the Pennsylvania Working Families Party has helped elect Josh Siegel as Lehigh County Executive and Tara Zrinski as Northampton County Executive. 

“My entire career has been devoted to fighting for my members – for better healthcare, fairer wages, and safety on the job. In Washington, I’ll stand up to the corporate interests and billionaire class that have rigged our politics for too long,” Brooks said in a statement.

He added “the Working Families Party has been a valued partner to organized labor since day one – fighting for benefits like paid family leave and making sure working people have a seat at the table.”