Republican Liz Cheney endorses Democratic U.S. Rep. Susan Wild in critical Pa. congressional race

A race for a congressional seat in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley could determine which party controls the U.S. House — and former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, a Republican, has endorsed the Democratic incumbent.

Cheney announced her endorsement of Democratic U.S. Rep. Susan Wild’s reelection bid in the 7th Congressional District on Wednesday.

It’s the former Republican leader’s first show of support for a House candidate in the 2024 election cycle, and comes on the heels of Cheney’s endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign earlier this month.

“While we may not agree on everything, I know that [Wild] holds a deep respect for the integrity of our democracy,” Cheney said in a statement. “We need thoughtful and serious people in Congress who will uphold the rule of law.”

Cheney, daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, represented Wyoming in the House and had served as the No. 3 Republican in the chamber, but her relationship with her party soured after she voted to impeach former President Donald Trump in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

During a rally in Wisconsin earlier this month, Harris and Cheney appeared side by side to call for unity and moderation between their parties while casting Trump as a threat to democracy.

In a presidential election year where margins are thin and some races are virtually tied, Democrats are looking for unique opportunities to widen their coalition.

Though top GOP officials have largely rallied around Trump’s third bid for office, Harris’ campaign is hoping that support from high-ranking Republicans like Cheney will woo moderate-leaning, suburban voters in swing states who may be turned off by Trump’s inflammatory rhetoric. Cheney campaigned for Harris in Montgomery County last week.

Cheney’s endorsement of Wild signals that strategy also applies to congressional contests.

Wild said in a statement that she was grateful for Cheney’s support, particularly in an election where officials needed to “look beyond partisanship” in the face of GOP threats to election integrity.

“I have always said that I will work with anyone, regardless of party, if it advances the interests of my beloved community,” Wild said.

Wild, a moderate and a top member of the House Ethics Committee, has stumped with leading House Democrats in Allentown and other areas of the battleground district in the final weeks of the campaign.

Margins in the 7th District are razor thin; in 2020, President Joe Biden eked out a win there over Trump by less than 1 percentage point. The region is home to a diverse and growing Latino population which could sway the race.

Pennsylvania GOP State Rep. Ryan Mackenzie is challenging Wild. The Republican candidate has strong ties to the Lehigh Valley region and has served in Harrisburg since 2012.

Mackenzie’s attacks have painted Wild as weak when it comes to protecting the southern U.S. border, and have questioned her past votes against funding a border wall.

Last week, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) stumped for Mackenzie at a campaign event at the Steel Club in Hellertown, circulating a baseless conspiracy theory that Democrats allowed migrants into the country in order to “turn these people into voters.”

Wild, meanwhile, has described Mackenzie as a career politician who poses a threat to women’s reproductive rights.