Source: Politics<\/p>\n
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro just passed his first major test of the midterms.<\/p>\n
Bob Brooks, a Shapiro-endorsed firefighter union leader, will take on GOP Rep. Ryan Mackenzie in a key November battleground after clinching the Democratic nomination for Pennsylvania\u2019s 7th District over a crowded field.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a significant win for Shapiro, who helped recruit Brooks into the race as part of his aggressive push to help Democrats retake the House by flipping four competitive seats in Pennsylvania. A romp across the map could serve as a launchpad for the governor\u2019s potential 2028 presidential campaign.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s also a boon to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which recently added Brooks to its \u201cRed to Blue\u201d program and boosted him with a pre-primary ad buy.<\/p>\n
Brooks, a first-time candidate, leaned heavily on the highly popular governor\u2019s imprimatur<\/a> to boost him over a four-way field that included former Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure, former federal prosecutor Ryan Crosswell, and engineer Carol Obando-Derstine, who served as an adviser to former Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.).<\/p>\n Shapiro went all-in, endorsing Brooks and hosting a fundraiser for him in December, cutting an ad for him in the spring and stumping with him shortly before Election Day.<\/p>\n The governor\u2019s support brought scrutiny on both men. News outlets unearthed Brooks\u2019 problematic old social media posts<\/a> and a messy family property dispute<\/a>. Brooks suggested that Shapiro tried to retaliate against a political foe in 2024 by encouraging his union to back her GOP opponent. (Brooks later said he misspoke.)<\/p>\n