Two candidates are on Tuesday’s general election ballot seeking to represent the 7th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Incumbent Susan Wild, a Democrat, will be challenged by Ryan Mackenzie, a Republican.

District 7 includes all of Carbon, Lehigh and Northampton counties, and parts of Monroe County.

The Times News asked each candidate the same set of questions. Their answers are printed below.

Susan Wild

Party: Democrat

Hometown: South Whitehall Township

What is the biggest issue facing your district and how would you plan to address it?

Costs are too high. Families are still hurting. I feel it too — I buy my own groceries and pump my own gas, and there’s more we can do to ease the immediate burden on people’s wallets. I believe in a comprehensive approach, from bringing down prescription costs to enhancing job training and technical education. A top priority in my next term will be passing the Child Care for Working Families Act, to cap child care costs at 7% of household income and cut taxes for working parents.

How would you address the economic challenges currently facing the district, including job growth, inflation and small business support?

We’ve made critical progress towards lowering costs, specifically for health care and prescription drugs, but there is more we need to do to put pressure on Big Pharma and large corporations to lower their prices. In recent years, corporations have raked in massive profit by raising prices on everyday Americans. To take on corporate greed, I’m pushing to ban corporate price gouging and “shrinkflation,” and also create more pathways for small businesses to succeed.

What is the biggest threat to national security and how can Congress address it?

When we passed the CHIPS and Science Act in 2022, it bolstered our ability to make computer chips here, not in China. A major focus of this legislation, aside from supporting local economies and creating good-paying jobs, was to foster American manufacturing independence. We need to make sure that we’re not reliant on foreign interests for economic development. This is one of the best ways that we can advance American national security, while also setting up self-sustaining domestic industries.

How would you address the rising costs of health care and ensure access to quality, affordable health care for all residents in the district?

When we passed the Inflation Reduction Act capping insulin prices at $35/month, Medicare Part D premiums at $2,000/year and finally giving Medicare the ability to negotiate drug prices directly with pharmaceutical companies, it opened the door to put pressure on corporate interests and lower costs for everyday Americans. Now, three of the four major inhaler manufacturers have capped their prices at $35/month, a real win for cities like Allentown with higher-than-average rates of asthma. We must continue putting pressure on greedy corporations who take advantage of hardworking Americans by jacking up prices.

How can the voters of your district benefit most by electing you in November?

In addition to the fact that I am the only candidate in this race who supports women’s reproductive rights, public education, and Medicare, I also have a proven track record of delivering results for this community. From passing national legislation that benefits my constituency and the rest of the country, to advocating for federal dollars to be put towards local community projects, my job is to make sure your voices are heard in the halls of power. It is a job I take very seriously, and I look forward to the opportunity to continue doing so.

Ryan Mackenzie

Party: Republican

Hometown: Lower Macungie Township

What is the biggest issue facing your district and how would you plan to address it?

By far the biggest challenge facing voters in Pennsylvania’s 7th District is the cost of living. Prices for food, housing, health care, energy and more have all skyrocketed, and the consequences for working families, young people and seniors have been devastating. It’s vital that Congress take immediate steps to stop additional inflation and deliver real relief for working families.

How would you address the economic challenges currently facing the district, including job growth, inflation and small business support?

The first priority must be to rein in inflation that has led to high prices. That means eliminating the wasteful, inflation-causing spending that we’ve seen in the last four years, embracing American energy and providing tax relief for working families. If we do these things, we can make it easier for working families to make ends meet. We also need a vibrant economy where wages are rising and housing is affordable, which means securing the border so that Americans don’t have to compete with tens of millions of illegal immigrants for jobs and housing.

What is the biggest threat to national security and how can Congress address it?

Russia, China, Iran and others are all long-term threats to our national security, but the most immediate national security crisis is at our southern border. In the last four years, we have seen a record number of illegal immigrants cross the border. That includes hundreds of people on the terror watchlist and tens of thousands of violent criminals. We have also seen a record quantity of drugs crossing our border, resulting in hundreds of thousands of opioid deaths. It’s vital that we secure the border, build the wall and deport criminal illegal immigrants.

How would you address the rising costs of health care and ensure access to quality, affordable health care for all residents in the district?

We need to start with common-sense policies that will start to address this problem. First, we need to secure the border so that illegal immigrants don’t put additional strain on our health care system. Next, we need to fix the failed Medicare reforms that have sent Part-D premiums skyrocketing. Beyond that, we need to find ways to simplify our health care system and increase transparency. That’s something that I’ve worked for in the Pennsylvania state House, and I’m looking forward to taking up the same fight in Congress.

How can the voters of the your district benefit most by electing you in November?

I’ve spent my time as a state representative working with both sides to pass common sense policies that deliver real results for our communities. That includes new rules to prevent illegal immigrants from taking American jobs, new laws to protect maternal health, tax relief for families and seniors, and embracing domestic energy. I’m running so that I can take my vision of change and common sense to Washington — fighting inflation, securing the border and helping seniors.