Outside Money, Endorsements Flood Critical Pennsylvania Swing District Ahead of Primary

Voters said they were frustrated by influences from outside the district that tried to steer their decision.

The Bethlehem Visitor’s Center, which sits directly in front of the historic Bethlehem Steel factory site, was used as a precinct for Bethlehem-based primary election voters in Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District on May 19, 2026. Jacob Burg/The Epoch Times

BETHLEHEM, Penn.—A union boss and firefighter managed to secure endorsements from key Democratic Party figures ahead of a primary election on May 19 to challenge a vulnerable Pennsylvania Republican.

Meanwhile, voters in the state’s 7th Congressional District—one of the most critical swing districts in the country—say they are uneasy to see so many forces from outside the Lehigh Valley trying to influence Tuesday’s vote.