Issa joins crowded GOP lineup challenging Wild
A law student and former congressional aide has joined a crowded line up of Republican challengers to congresswoman Susan Wild in next year’s election. Allen Issa said he is running in the Lehigh Valley’s congressional district because he believes political leaders are “starting to lose touch.” If elected he would be one of the youngest people in Congress — he turns 26 next month.
“We need to bring a new vision and energy,” Issa said. “I am worried about the direction this country is heading.”
Though Issa was born and raised in California, he said his roots in the Lehigh Valley run deep — his father immigrated from Syria to Allentown and worked for Bethlehem Steel before relocating to the West Coast. He is named after the city of Allentown.
He graduated from the University of California-Riverside and is currently a student at Penn State law. He spent a summer working as an aide for California GOP Congressman Darrell Issa — no relation — and said he “fell in love” with policy work.
Issa said he is splitting his time between State College and his aunt’s house in Macungie, and is looking to relocate permanently to Allentown soon.
He said his major policy priorities as a candidate are addressing an influx of illegal immigration, supporting police officers, and addressing inflation and economic issues.
“Inflation is the biggest worry of most Americans,” Issa said. “If a bank is going to fail, we bail them out, while an average American can’t afford rent, can’t afford groceries, and we get nothing from the government. We keep bailing out the largest institutions but let average Americans feel the full pressure.”
Unlike his fellow Republican challengers, Issa has not yet reported any fundraising to support his candidacy. The other GOP hopefuls, Ryan Mackenzie, Maria Montero and Kevin Dellicker, have raised a combined total of nearly $300,000.
He said he aims to ramp up his fundraising before the next round of campaign finance reports are due later this year.
“I think people are going to be surprised by campaign finance by the end of this quarter,” Issa said. “And they’re going to think I’m a candidate they want to take seriously.”