Pennsylvania congressional candidate Bob Brooks, a Democrat who has been endorsed by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and a number of the party’s prominent progressive figures, is requiring ID for access to his campaign events despite being a fierce opponent of voter ID.
Brooks, a Democrat and former Bethlehem firefighter, is the party’s nominee in Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District. He served as a firefighter from 2005 to 2025 and has been president of the Pennsylvania Professional Fire Fighters Association since 2021. He also operates a lawn-care and snow-removal business.
He is currently facing off against U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie in what projects to be one of the most competitive U.S. House races in the country.
In an April 15, 2026, candidate questionnaire published by The Morning Call, Brooks addressed election rules and federal legislation, including Trump-backed election integrity legislation like the SAVE ACT.
“Donald Trump and Washington Republicans are once again resorting to lies about our elections because they’re failing to address skyrocketing costs here at home,” he said. “The truth is we have some of the best-run elections in the country right here in Pennsylvania. I oppose the SAVE Act and I oppose efforts to restrict voting rights.”
The SAVE Act, which the House passed in February 2026 on a 218-213 vote, would require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections and specified photo identification to cast a ballot in those elections. The GOP-controlled Senate has not passed the measure despite intense urging from President Trump.
According to a report from Breitbart News, Brooks’ campaign requires identification for attendees at campaign events and denied entry to at least one person who sought to attend. The report linked video of the denial.
National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Reilly Richardson told the outlet that Brooks “doesn’t care about who votes in our elections but has no problem requiring ID to attend his ritzy campaign events” and said voters would hold him accountable. The campaign’s specific written policy on acceptable forms of ID for events was not detailed in the report.
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Rules for thee but not for me: Bob Brooks Opposes Voter ID, Requires ID to Attend Campaign Event https://t.co/Icflvy3oE4 pic.twitter.com/uPqRHTlEoe
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) September 11, 2026
Pennsylvania does not generally require identification from returning in-person voters. A 2012 state photo-ID law was struck down by the Commonwealth Court in 2014.
Under current rules, a voter appearing at a polling place for the first time in an election district must present proof of identification, which may be photo or non-photo. Acceptable items include a Pennsylvania driver’s license or PennDOT ID, other government-issued ID, a passport, military ID, student or employee ID, a voter registration card, a utility bill, bank statement, or paycheck. Several of these items do not require proof of citizenship.
