As Election Day approaches, candidates for Congress in the Lehigh Valley are making their final pitch to voters in what is expected to be one of the tightest Congressional races in the U.S.
Democratic Congresswoman Susan Wild faces Republican challenger Lisa Scheller in Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District, which covers all of Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon counties and a small part of Monroe County.
The waning days before the election are crucial for candidates to win over still-undecided voters and encourage people to make a plan to get to the polls. The candidates have held wall-to-wall campaign stops in all corners of the district, from major rallies to one-on-one meetings with voters.
It’s a crucial time, said Muhlenberg College director of Political Science Chris Borick.
“You’re looking at messaging that you think might, at the end, nudge these hard-to-get voters to your side,” Borick said. “That’s always paired with, at the end of a race, a pivot to get out the vote and really investing heavily in getting your base voters out, targeting groups that you know if they do show up, it’s going to advantage you.”
The candidates also are making a last minute fundraising bid to their supporters. In October alone, Scheller injected more than $2 million in loans and donations from her own personal money into her campaign. The extra money puts her on more level playing field with Wild, who has out-raised Scheller throughout the campaign cycle.
Wild campaign manager Sarah Carlson said the focus in the waning days of the campaign is reminding voters of Wild’s accomplishments in office, including measures to provide businesses with COVID-19 relief, lower health care costs and boost American manufacturing.
“In the final days we are going to be essentially everywhere and anywhere,” Carlson said. “We feel like it’s important to talk to every voter. We’re stopping by a lot of businesses to talk about what she has done in Congress to support small businesses. A lot of people really benefited from the American Rescue Plan.”
Wild spent Thursday afternoon visiting businesses in the Slate Belt, a solidly red region in northern Northampton County. Touring with owners at Method Karate and Mt. Bethel Beverage beer store, Wild spoke about the challenges their businesses faced as a result of the pandemic.
Courtney Gilmour, a member of the Northampton County Democratic committee who represents the Slate Belt area, said those kinds of personal visits from Wild are important for her visibility in the community.
“We want to make sure people feel seen,” Gilmour said. “Her coming out here is exactly what people have been asking for.”
Scheller has also been making visits to small businesses around the Lehigh Valley. Her focus during the last few days of the campaign has been listening to residents’ concerns.
“The last days and few weeks, and I would say it’s actually been a cornerstone of my campaign, has been grassroots efforts,” Scheller said. “Getting out to meet people and listen to what they have to say, listening to every county, every part of the district, in terms of every type of vocation, every ethnicity, making sure I’ve had the chance to hear what is important to people living here.”
Both candidates have also brought high-profile supporters to town this week. Wild campaigned with First Lady Jill Biden on Wednesday, made a brief appearance with U.S. Senate candidate and Lt. Gov. John Fetterman on Thursday and rallied with Josh Shapiro, Pennsylvania’s Democratic candidate for governor, on Friday.
[ Candidates bringing big names to the Lehigh Valley as midterm election cycle winds down ]
Scheller appeared with Nikki Haley, a former United Nations ambassador and…
Read More: Lehigh Valley candidates make final pitch before midterm elections