Greetings all. One of the most highly regarded House candidates of the cycle dropped by earlier today for a visit, and I am now excited to introduce him to you. Meet Bob Brooks - fire fighter, union leader, coalition builder, small business owner - who just won a hotly contested primary in PA-07 by more than 20 points despite Republicans spending $1.7 million against him in the primary. Yes, PA-07 is one of the those Democratic primaries where Republicans attempted to pick our candidate, and another one where they failed……
Here’s how Brooks described the illicit GOP dark money campaign in our discussion:
I think it shows clearly that the Republicans are running scared. When they got involved in this primary, especially against, like you mentioned earlier, the coalition that we built – from Josh [Shapiro] to Bernie [Sanders], to Blue Dogs and everybody in between – they're afraid of that. They're afraid of people coming together to work against them. They spent $1.7 million to try and make me look bad, and to try and prop up another candidate. And it didn't work.
It's a good thing, I think, that I lived in a firehouse for the last 20 years and found some thick skin, because they came pretty hot and heavy. But listen… they came in, they spent a lot of money in a primary to try and make somebody look bad. And it didn't work. We won by 20 points.
Trump carried PA-07 by 3 points (Downballot), and the temporary holder of the seat, Rep. Ryan MacKensie, only won by 4,000 votes last time. With the national battlefield tipping at least 8 points our way this year, and with a very popular Governor Josh Shapiro at the top of the ticket, PA-07 is one of our very best pick-up opportunities in the country this cycle.
You can help Brooks flip PA-07 blue by donating to our Winning The House - Second Wave Fund or by donating directly to his campaign here.
Here’s Brooks talking about why the ability to run with his good friend Gov. Shapiro at the top of the ticket was one of the reasons he decided to run this cycle:
You know, being friends with Governor Shapiro made this easier for me, because I believe in him and I’ve supported him. I ran around the state with firefighters for Shapiro when he was running because I believed in his message and what he was doing for working people. That’s what I think drew him to me, and has led him to put support behind this campaign, because he knows, again… he knows how hard I have worked for my members, and he knows how hard I work for the people of Pennsylvania, PA-7 in particular.
Watch this very compelling campaign video, Fire, to learn more about Brooks and his journey to become a top House candidate in a critical election cycle:
With four top House pick up opportunities (PA-01/Harvie, PA-07/Brooks, PA-08/Cognetti, and PA-10/Stelson) Pennsylvania has become one of the most important battlegrounds this year. Hopium has been working for Paige Cognetti and Janelle Stelson for months now. This week we will be getting to meet both Brooks and Harvie and asking our community to back them too.
Enjoy getting to know a great candidate, Bob Brooks, and keep working hard all. We have a country to save, and elections to win, together! - Simon
Biography - Bob Brooks, Firefighter, Union President, Small Business Owner, And US House Candidate Running In PA-07
Bob Brooks has spent his entire life fighting for working families. Whether behind a bar, behind the wheel of a snow plow, or on the floor of the Pennsylvania State Capitol advocating for first responders, Bob has never lost sight of where he comes from or who he’s fighting for.
Bob spent 20 years as a firefighter in the City of Bethlehem. He’s held nearly every position on the truck and every post in his union. As the union President of the Pennsylvania Professional Fire Fighters Association, Bob took on the politicians for higher wages, better healthcare, and benefits for all workers. Among his proudest victories is helping lead the fight to pass mental health coverage for firefighters struggling with PTSI – a ten-year battle he refused to give up on.
Bob was raised primarily by a single mom who worked as a bartender to keep food on the table. By the time he turned 30, Bob had already held more jobs than most people do in a lifetime: dishwasher, short-order cook, bartender, landscaper, warehouse worker, pizza delivery driver, and more. He moved to Pennsylvania more than 30 years ago and never looked back.
In 2005, Bob joined the fire department and immediately got involved in his union – to help his fellow workers. Over two decades, he helped negotiate fairer contracts, fought for better healthcare, livable wages, and safer working conditions, and became a voice in Harrisburg for working families across the state.
His work isn’t about politics – it’s about fighting for the people. And Bob’s earned the respect of Democrats and Republicans alike by being honest, persistent, and never forgetting who he works for.
Bob also runs Brooks Lawn Care, a small family-operated snow removal and lawn care business he started in 2013. Whether plowing driveways at 4 a.m. or mowing lawns after a firefighting shift, Bob has never stopped hustling to provide for his family.
Bob lives in Nazareth with his wife Jen, with whom he has a family of four children – Keith (a volunteer fire chief himself), Austin, Hunter, and Mason – and is a proud grandpa to two granddaughters, Elliana and Lucy. Bob and Jen raise a bulldog named Aspen.
Earlier this year, Bob retired from his dream job – fighting fires. Bob loves working, but has seen too many of his friends work too many shifts to keep up with rising costs. When Congressman MacKenzie once again voted to cut taxes for billionaires, cut health care for his neighbors, and screw working people, Bob decided to run for Congress.
