Meet Ryan Mackenzie and Rob Bresnahan Jr., Pennsylvania’s two new GOP members of Congress

The GOP flipped two longtime Democratic-held seats in Pennsylvania’s U.S. House delegation amid a red wave that washed over the Keystone State last week.

State Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R., Lehigh) ousted U.S. Rep. Susan Wild, a three-term Democrat representing the Lehigh Valley in the 7th Congressional District.

And in Northeast Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District, businessman Rob Bresnahan Jr. defeated U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright, a six-term Democrat, in an increasingly competitive district. Mackenzie’s and Bresnahan’s victories came amid GOP gains across Pennsylvania and have added to the Republicans’ likely retention of control of the U.S. House.

They will take the oath of office in January after Wild and Cartwright finish out their terms. With the addition of Mackenzie and Bresnahan, Pennsylvania Republicans will have 10 seats in the House.

As of Wednesday, House Republicans own 217 seats, while Democrats have 207, with 11 seats yet to be called by the Associated Press. Mackenzie’s and Bresnahan’s wins marked two of the four House GOP pickups, according to the AP.

President-elect Donald Trump improved on his 2020 performance in every region in Pennsylvania — and ushered in GOP wins across the state — but he made his most dramatic progress in Northeast Pennsylvania, where Bresnahan was also victorious.

Speaking to the House GOP conference Wednesday morning, Trump said his candidacy and GOP congressional campaigns were mutually beneficial.

“We worked with a lot of you to get you in, and you helped me, and you helped me, too,” Trump said.

Both Bresnahan and Mackenzie said having Trump at the top of the ticket certainly helped bolster enthusiasm and turnout for Republicans down the ballot, but they also believe their campaigns’ messaging and focus on the border and economy, among other topics — like “kitchen-table issues,” Bresnahan said — would always resonate with voters.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) said Tuesday that House Republicans are “ready to deliver” on Trump’s agenda. And coupled with a Republican majority in the U.S. Senate, it seems they could be poised to do so. But Mackenzie and Bresnahan appear to have taken a less bullish approach.

Bresnahan said he is ready to deliver on the agenda but wants to look at it and “weigh it case by case,” with border security being his top priority. The businessman — who said “there’s not an R or a D next to my name; the letters are NEPA” — also pledged to join the House’s bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, which other Pennsylvania U.S. representatives are involved with. Republican Brian Fitzpatrick cochairs the caucus, and Democrat Chrissy Houlahan and Republican Dan Meuser are members.

And Mackenzie, a right-wing Republican who had asked Congress not to certify the 2020 presidential election results, said he is determined to pass legislation on immigration, the economy, and foreign policy but is mindful of obstacles that may stand in Republicans’ way.

While House Republicans can pass bills with a simple majority (and have already started developing the framework for proposals on tax reform and energy, Mackenzie said), the Lehigh County state representative is aware that the GOP’s 53-47 seat majority in the Senate could make bills vulnerable to the filibuster, which sets a 60-vote supermajority requirement for passing most legislation.

Senate Republicans could use the budget reconciliation process, which detours around the 60-vote threshold, and Mackenzie hopes Trump will take charge through executive order on issues like immigration.

“Ultimately, we do need to get results for the American people,” Mackenzie said of Congress. “So, you know, we have to do that. … Obviously, you have to work through the appropriate political and legal channels to make that happen, which, you know, that is easier said than done.”

Bresnahan likened the pressure — with all eyes on the Republican Party — to his time as an ice hockey goalie growing up. He said the responsibility is second nature.

“We have a responsibility to the people that elected us to serve, and I am very confident that we will recognize the significance of this opportunity to be able to deliver real, tangible results,” Bresnahan said.