Carol Obando-Derstine launches campaign for Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District

Carol Obando-Derstine, ‘22G, recently announced her candidacy for Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District. 

Susan Wild, a former United States representative who previously held the seat, endorsed Obando-Derstine at a campaign event on May 1 at Payrow Plaza in Bethlehem. 

According to Obando-Derstine’s campaign website, she enters the political arena as a first-time candidate with a platform focused on economic justice, access to education, reproductive justice and community-focused leadership.

Obando-Derstine is running as a Democrat to unseat U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R), who won the seat during the 2024 election cycle. 

As a first-generation immigrant and energy systems engineer, Obando-Derstine said her bid for Congress stems from personal experience and a deep frustration with the direction of the current administration.

“I came to this country at 3 years old, with parents who fled a violent civil war,” she said. “We packed into a one-bathroom house with extended family, because that’s what survival looked like. I know the struggles working families face because I’ve lived them.”

Obando-Derstine emphasized her decades of service in the nonprofit and energy sectors, saying they’ve prepared her to represent the Lehigh Valley with integrity and compassion.

She also said she is running for Congress to fight for families like her own and to ensure the people of Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District have a “real champion.”

“My life has been dedicated to helping others help themselves, not to politics,” she said. “But I refuse to stand by as Elon Musk and Mackenzie rip healthcare from millions, devastate our economy and hand out tax breaks to billionaire donors.” 

Obando-Derstine previously served as the executive director of SkillsUSA Council, a nonprofit that supports local career and technical education students. She also led the Children’s Coalition of the Lehigh Valley as executive director, managing a food pantry and an afterschool program.

“I’ve seen firsthand how vital these programs are to our community,” Obando-Derstine said. 

She said when these services are threatened, working families are left behind.

Although this is her first campaign for public office, Obando-Derstine said she has spent years working closely with government officials. 

She worked as a staffer for U.S. Sen. Bob Casey in his regional office, serving Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon Counties.

She said the experience taught her how real public service involves listening to others — a principle she’s carried throughout her career and plans to bring to Congress if elected.

During her time at Lehigh, Obando-Derstine studied energy systems engineering and participated in community engagement work at PPL Corporation. There, she helped low-income residents reduce their energy bills. 

She also completed energy audits for manufacturers through the university’s Industrial Assessment Center and served as a Sustainable Impact Fellow while at Lehigh.

“I went back to school at age 43, because I wanted to gain the technical skills to make a broader impact,” Obando-Derstine said. “Lehigh gave me those tools. That’s why I stay involved, whether it’s judging Creative Inquiry presentations, donating to scholarships or mentoring students through Soaring Together.”

Josie Krepps, ‘24, was in the same Creative Inquiry class as Obando-Derstine. She said Obando-Derstine was always insightful during their discussions on social change and sustainability. 

“She has this incredible range of experiences and brings a lot of passion to everything she does,” Krepps said.

Julie Wright, ‘26, said she met Obando-Derstine during a Creative Inquiry presentation when Obando-Derstine was a judge, and she thought she seemed passionate about societal change.

Wright also said it was encouraging to see someone so deeply connected to the community decide to run for office. 

“I think she brings a really fresh perspective, especially since she’s not a career politician,” she said.

Wright said the upcoming election is an important moment for the community, and she encourages students to get involved by registering to vote, learning about candidates and making their voices heard. 

Obando-Derstine said she is also focused on lowering costs for working families — a concern she said she’s heard repeatedly from residents.

“We need to expand access to family-sustaining jobs that don’t require taking on crushing debt,” she said. “That means investing in career and technical education, just like I’ve done for years.”

Charlotte Whitmer-Rich, ‘28, met Obando-Derstine at the Soaring Together Women’s Summit earlier this year and said she was impressed by her background and reliability. 

Reflecting on their interaction, she said Obando-Derstine’s experience and connection to the Lehigh Valley made her an exciting candidate for Congress. 

“It’s really cool to hear that a Lehigh alum is running for office,” Whitmer-Rich said. “I haven’t seen many Lehigh alumni working in policy or politics, but Carol has such a strong background and really cares about the community. 

She also said Obando-Derstine understands and cares about the community, and she’s confident in her ability to be an effective representative. 

“I want people in the Lehigh Valley to know they have someone in Congress who’s not beholden to special interests, who will always put them before politics,” she said.