Democrat · Pennsylvania's 7th District · 2026
Bob Brooks
Brooks has worked as a bartender, pizza delivery driver, landscaper and Bethlehem firefighter.
Biography
Bob Brooks has a tattoo of a bulldog wearing a fire helmet, and an actual bulldog named Aspen at home.1 He and his wife, Jen, have a family of four children and two granddaughters.1 His community activities include coaching youth and varsity baseball in Nazareth.1
Raised primarily by a single mother who bartended, he has worked as a dishwasher, cook, bartender, pizza delivery driver and landscaper.1 He joined Bethlehem's fire department in 2005 and served for two decades before retiring.1 In 2013 he started Brooks Lawn Care, a family business handling lawns and snow removal.1
He held several offices in IAFF Local 735 before being elected president of the Pennsylvania Professional Fire Fighters Association in 2021.2 State Rep. Jennifer O'Mara credited him with helping secure the 2024 law expanding workers' compensation for qualifying posttraumatic stress injuries among first responders.3 The law removes the requirement that those injuries stem from abnormal working conditions, subject to eligibility and benefit limits.4
He campaigns on Medicare for All, a higher minimum wage linked to inflation, and the PRO Act to strengthen union organizing.5 He also supports banning congressional stock trading and expanding housing and childcare assistance.5 He seeks to unseat Republican freshman Ryan Mackenzie in Pennsylvania's Seventh District.6
Record and controversies
Family debt litigation resolved
In 2020, a county judge ruled against Brooks in litigation over a family property loan after he disputed the promissory note's authenticity; he later lost an appeal.7 A February 2026 suit alleged he transferred assets to avoid paying the resulting debt, which his campaign denied.7 In September, The Keystone reported that the parties settled and filed a dismissal with prejudice, ending that case.8 His attorney described an amicable agreement resolving the personal dispute.8 The linked county dismissal document could not be independently retrieved in this review; the resolution here relies on the dated report.
Business insurance advertising dispute
About both candidates: Bob Brooks and Ryan Mackenzie
An October 2026 Mackenzie and NRCC advertisement accused Brooks of violating workers' compensation insurance requirements for his lawn care business.9 Brooks's lawyer said the business had no employees after its policy lapsed and therefore was not required to maintain coverage.9 Mackenzie's campaign and the NRCC stood by the advertisement, citing an online employment history that they said contradicted that explanation.9 A criminal charge or formal ruling establishing the alleged violation was not verified in this review.
First responder bill dispute
About both candidates: Bob Brooks and Ryan Mackenzie
A Brooks advertisement said Mackenzie fought efforts to expand first responder mental health benefits; Mackenzie demanded its removal as false and defamatory.10 The original House journal confirms Mackenzie voted for the bill's final passage in October 2024.11 Brooks's campaign stood by its claim, and union supporters faulted earlier committee delays.10 Mackenzie's lawyer said he supported the measure on every recorded vote and that scheduling decisions belonged to the committee chairman.10
Grant referrals and responses
In October 2026, a county Republican chairman requested investigations into Brooks's pandemic grant applications and the firefighters association foundation's memorial grants.12 The referrals questioned his answers about outstanding judgments and the foundation's accounting classifications; the latter acknowledged a possible accounting error.12 The association's treasurer denied wrongdoing, said grants paid for memorial design and sculptures, and denied payments to officers, directors or relatives.12 Brooks's campaign likewise denied memorial misconduct but did not address the pandemic grant issue in that October19 report.12 The underlying referral documents could not be retrieved here; an agency investigation or finding was not independently verified.