The Lehigh Valley Press weekly newspapers asked the candidates for the 7th Congressional District the following question:

Do you think the results of this election will be a bellwether of the 2020 Presidential Election? Please explain your answer.

Susan Wild, Democrat

Communication Director Sally Tucker responded to the question on behalf of Wild:

“Susan is very focused on what working families in this district need now.

“She’s no pollster and can’t predict what the 2018 election will mean for 2020, but does believe full-heartedly in fighting to raise the minimum wage, make health care more affordable and ensure we have strong infrastructure investment in the region.”

Tim Silfies, Libertarian

I think the American political landscape is far too volatile right now to predict a week into the future, let alone two years.

My hope is that voters across the political spectrum will start to come together and demand something different from the broken establishment parties- not just in PA7 but across the country.

It needs to be done, and I think it’s entirely plausible. We are in an era where the politically impossible seems to be happening repeatedly.

Viable independent voices of different ideological stripes are a logical next step, hopefully all the way up to the presidential level.

Marty Nothstein, Republican

Recent history would say otherwise. In 2010, Obama lost 63 House seats, yet won re-election twoyears later. That might be an anomaly, but in many ways so was the Barack Obama election and the Donald Trump election.

Both were nonconventional candidates, with a passionate group of base voters, many of them for the first time.

They didn’t come out for the Obama mid-term elections, but they did for his re-election. The economy was also different.

2010 wasn’t trending positively relative to 2018. Obama didn’t campaign for the midterms like Trump has, so we will see what the results will be.

If Trump holds the House and gains in the Senate, his 2020 re-election will virtually be assured.

If he loses the House, his re-election will be more challenging, but I believe he will prevail.

The key is having the 2016 voters come out in 2018, something that is a challenge for any first term president.

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Following a court-ordered redrawing of the Pennsylvania congressional map in February 2018, the new 7th District is mainly comprised of the old 15th District, represented by former Congressman Charlie Dent.

The district, based around Allentown, also includes portions of the former 10th and 17th Districts.