After getting the endorsement from the federal workers’ largest union, leaders from the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) are looking at Democratic candidates like Bob Brooks to help build their majority in the next Congress.
“We want people that are going to look at federal work as a positive, and we think Bob will be one of those guys,” said Phil Glover, national vice president for AFGE District 3, which includes workers in Pennsylvania and Delaware, in an interview with The Keystone.
Brooks, a retired 20-year firefighter with the City of Bethlehem, represents over 7,000 firefighters and first responders as president of the Pennsylvania Professional Fire Fighters Association, and is running against US Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R-Pa.) in November’s election.
A working-class candidate: Bob Brooks sets progressive agenda
Since launching his campaign last fall, Brooks has been endorsed by US Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and prominent Democrats such as US Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Gov. Josh Shapiro, and others. He also has the backing of 15 other labor unions.
Glover believes that candidates such as Brooks can help bring blue-collar voters, who may have voted for President Donald Trump in previous elections, back to the Democratic Party.
“ I do think that the Democratic Party’s message needs to be clearer on blue collar [issues],” Glover said.
“It’s easy to have the Republican side demonize Democrats because of our stances on immigration and other things. They build a wedge, and I think guys like Bob, hopefully, can split that and get back into talking about labor, and pay, and benefits, and retirement.”
Earlier this week, the AFGE, which represents nearly 33,000 federal employees in Pennsylvania and Delaware, endorsed eight Pennsylvania Democrats, including Brooks, running on November’s ballot.
In recent months, AFGE hasn’t shied away from backing Republican incumbents by endorsing US Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) and Rob Bresnahan (R-Pa.), but according to Glover, Mackenzie hasn’t shown interest in the issues that are important to the union.
“ When I met with [Mackenzie], he didn’t appear to be engaged. He ran for the House, and he really didn’t seem interested in leading on anything or doing much on the federal side anyway,” Glover said.
He added that Mackenzie is “not a leader on anything for us.”
Pennsylvania lost thousands of jobs at the federal level following the chaos Elon Musk, owner of X and CEO of Tesla, left in the wake of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cuts to federal programs, and Mackenzie defended Musk’s actions during a CNN town hall in April 2025.
“Every administration is staffed with unelected individuals who are tasked to carry out the wishes of the president. That is every single administration. That is nothing new in the case of Elon Musk,” Mackenzie said.
Earlier this year, Brooks joined four other working-class Democratic candidates as part of the Blue Collar Brigade, with the mission to help with campaign fundraising efforts and spread a populist message to voters.
“I’m proud to have the endorsement of AFGE — the largest federal employee union in the country, ” Brooks’ campaign said in a statement. “I’ve been a champion of working people my whole life, and I’m running for Congress to give a voice to working Pennsylvanians in Washington.”
