Pennsylvania State Rep. Ryan Mackenzie scored a major upset in Tuesday’s balloting for the two-year term in the United States Congress, knocking off incumbent Susan Wild with the help of victories in Carbon and Monroe counties.

Mackenzie, a Republican who holds the 187th Legislative District seat in Harrisburg, defeated his Democratic opponent by a little more than 5,500 votes. The unofficial tally was 200,422 for Mackenzie and 194,885 for Wild.

“I’m incredibly proud of the campaign that we waged,” said Mackenzie in a news release. “Because of the hard work of our supporters, our team has managed to overcome the odds, beat the polls, and deliver change for the Greater Lehigh Valley. Thank you to all of those who worked alongside us in this fight, and thank you to the people of the 7th district for granting me the opportunity to represent them.

“The fight now shifts to delivering results for the people of the Greater Lehigh Valley. I’m looking forward to taking up the charge on the issues that our communities are concerned about, including tackling the high cost of living, securing the border, and working towards peace abroad.”

In addition to all of Carbon County, the district includes all of Lehigh and Northampton counties and parts of Monroe County, including the townships of Eldred, Polk and some of Ross.

Mackenzie’s victory came on the strength of an impressive 11,000-plus-vote win in Carbon County, 22,501 to 11,358, as well as an advantage in the Monroe County communities in the district, 4,965 to 2,366.

In Lehigh and Northampton counties, Wild was the winner, recording wins of 95,910 to 87,980 in Lehigh County and 85,251 to 84,976 in Northampton County.

Three-term congresswoman, who became the first woman to be appointed Allentown’s City solicitor and the first woman to be elected in the 7th District, succeeded Rep. Charlie Dent.

“There is no sugarcoating it: this is a bitterly disappointing outcome,” Wild said in a news release. “In a moment, I am going to talk about how our fight — for reproductive rights, for affordable health care, for equality, for a clean and safe planet — can and must endure. But first, it is of utmost importance that I first state what should be obvious: I lost this election, and my opponent won. I congratulate my opponent on winning this seat, and I am going to do everything to ensure a smooth transition, because the people of this district deserve nothing less.

“This is how American democracy works. It’s how we move forward. And it is absolutely crucial that candidates, in victory and in defeat, abide by this principle. You cannot only recognize the results of elections you win, no matter how much you may disagree with them.

“When it comes to serving our community, we are stronger when we find common ground.”

Mackenzie, of Lower Macungie Township, defeated two challengers — Kevin W. Dellicker of Heidelberg Township and Maria Montero of Easton, formerly of Summit Hill — in May to earn the right to meet Wild.

Before being elected to his state office, Mackenzie served as the director of policy at the PA Department of Labor & Industry, where he worked on issues relating to unemployment compensation reform, workers’ compensation insurance, the Uniform Construction Code and workforce development.

Bill O’Gurek and Kristine Porter contributed to this report.