U.S. Rep. Susan Wild, of Pennsylvania, a member of the Congressional Freethought Caucus (formed to preserve the secular character of the U.S. government) is in one of the nation’s most tumultuous races for Congress — a contest that could possibly determine the makeup of the House. Wild is the most vulnerable Congressional Freethought Caucus member and needs a strong secular turnout in this pivotal election.
The race for Pennsylvania’s 7th District, which includes Allentown, is a competitive area in which Republicans aim to unseat Wild with a Republican Statehouse member, Ryan Mackenzie. Donald Trump has endorsed Mackenzie. Registered voters in the district are virtually evenly split between Democrats and Republicans, marking the district as one of the most coveted political territories in the nation.
Since control of Congress will likely be decided by only a few seats, Wild’s reelection and maintaining a Democratic seat in the U.S. House are vitally important. Wild’s 2022 election was the closest congressional race of the 2022 cycle in Pennsylvania, in which she won by less than 6,000 votes out of nearly 300,000 votes cast. Both parties are again making a significant push for the seat. The Cook Political Report currently marks the race for the district as a “Democrat Toss Up.”
Wild has represented Pennsylvania’s 7th District since 2019. She won a special election in November 2018 and was reelected for a full term beginning in January 2019. Wild became the first woman to represent Lehigh Valley in Congress and is the only Jewish federally elected Pennsylvania official.
Wild tirelessly works to protect abortion and LGBTQ-plus rights, expand economic opportunity and preserve the separation of state and church. Besides being on the Congressional Freethought Caucus, Wild co-chairs the New Democrat Coalition Climate Change Task Force and is vice chair of the Congressional Labor and Working Families Caucus and the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organization. Notably, she has earned a commendable 88 score on FFRF Action Fund’s Dynamic House Scorecard.
FFRF Action Fund is a 501(c)(4) organization that develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church. It also advocates for the rights and views of nonbelievers, endorses candidates for political office, and publicizes the views of elected officials concerning religious liberty issues.