HEIDELBERG TWP., Pa. — This week, we’re profiling the Republican candidates vying to represent their party in the race for Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District.
Businessman, military veteran and self-described “common sense conservative” Kevin Dellicker is one of three Republicans running in the district this year.
“I want people to know there’s a difference,” Dellicker stresses to GOP voters. “You can go down the list of policies and have conservative Republicans [having] similar views, but it’s the experience and the values that set you apart.”
Dellicker, 53, grew up in northwestern Lehigh County and still resides in Heidelberg Township today. His Air Force career saw him deployed overseas four times, and he now commands a squadron that flies MQ-9 Reapers.
Dellicker also owns the technology company bearing his name, Dellicker Strategies. The firm has overseen more than $300 million in broadband infrastructure projects serving thousands of underserved people in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
“I’ve done more to create jobs and help families as a private citizen than [incumbent Rep. Susan Wild] has done in Congress,” Dellicker said.
As a relative unknown in the 7th district’s 2022 primary, Dellicker put up an unexpectedly strong fight against eventual GOP nominee Lisa Scheller — losing by just 2.6% of the vote despite being outspent tenfold. Scheller would go on to lose to Wild, but Dellicker believes the district is “winnable for the right Republican” in 2024.
“It’s not just GOP voters who want somebody with relevant experience in military affairs, national security, support to law enforcement, job creation, technology... and balancing budgets. It’s all voters,” Dellicker said of his chances against Wild.
Having outraised both Mackenzie and Montero so far in this race and earned the endorsements of multiple police unions in the Lehigh Valley, Dellicker hopes what he calls his “personal authenticity” will carry him to victory.
“What you see is what you get,” Dellicker said. “My whole campaign is based on the premise that if people get to know me, they’ll vote for me.”
On the issues
During our interview, Dellicker articulated his positions on some of the important issues that are likely to decide this fall's elections up and down the ballot.
Economy: Dellicker says job creators have been hindered “by a “credit crunch” prolonged by high interest rates, which impacts their ability to secure grants and invest in themselves as needed. Small business owners who “sign the front of their own paycheck” can understand the full impact of this situation, which Dellicker says is worsened by Biden administration policies and has contributed to record inflation that still impacts the most vulnerable citizens.
Abortion: Dellicker noted his “strong personal convictions” on the abortion issue and shifted the conversation to measures taken against alternative maternal healthcare procedures by both national and Pennsylvania Democrats. “We ought to protect unborn children who can feel pain or survive,” Dellicker said, while also expressing support for “providing options” for women trying to start a family. He did not directly state his position for or against any federal abortion restrictions.
War in Ukraine: Dellicker does not support sending monetary aid to Ukraine in its ongoing war with Russia because he believes the country’s stated goal of retaking all captured territory is not vital to American national security. Instead, Dellicker says America needs to focus on ensuring that Russia does not take Kyiv, as losing the Ukrainian capital would pose three major problems for the Western world: (1) Ukraine’s grain and energy industry would make Russia stronger economically; (2) Russia could threaten the rest of Europe; and (3) Millions of Ukrainian refugees with strong feelings against Russia would pour out across Europe and engage in activism against the Kremlin, posing the risk of a “flash point that could drag the United States into conflict with Russia.”
War in Gaza: For Israel, Dellicker says the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas terrorist attacks were proportionally larger and more devastating than 9/11 for America. Americans must understand that Hamas is “evil,” so Israel should be given “the benefit of the doubt” when fighting the group — because another attack is imminent if the Israelis let their guard down — according to Dellicker.
Border security: Dellicker proposes a three-pronged approach of “build a wall, end [migrant] parole, reform asylum.” He advocates taking a stronger stance against Mexican drug cartels, which he argues have “infiltrated” the Mexican government and should be treated as a foreign terrorist organization.
Donald Trump: Dellicker called Trump the “presumptive [Republican] nominee and likely next president,” arguing he was a strong leader who promoted “peace through strength” and “law and order” policies while in office. Trump’s economic and energy policies make him the “leader we need right know to reverse Biden’s damaging policies,” Dellicker said.
2020 election: Asked if Joe Biden legitimately defeated Trump in the 2020 presidential election, Dellicker responded, “Joe Biden is the president” without taking a specific position on the question. Dellicker said election fraud occurred during that election — in the form of “federal agents pushing a false narrative” about Trump’s ties to Russia, as well as through suppression of unflattering stories about the president’s son, Hunter Biden.
In Pennsylvania’s GOP primary on April 23, Dellicker will face candidates Ryan Mackenzie and Maria Montero. The winner of that race will face Wild, a Democrat seeking her fourth term in Congress, in the general election this November.
Stay tuned to WFMZ.com for a profile of Montero, which will be published tomorrow.
