Bob Brooks has spent his entire life fighting for working families. Whether behind a bar, behind the wheel of a snow plow, or on the floor of the Pennsylvania State Capitol advocating for first responders, Bob has never lost sight of where he comes from or who he’s fighting for.
Bob spent 20 years as a firefighter in the City of Bethlehem. He’s held nearly every position on the truck and every post in his union. As the union President of the Pennsylvania Professional Fire Fighters Association, Bob took on the politicians for higher wages, better healthcare, and benefits for all workers.
Among Bob’s proudest victories is helping lead the fight to pass mental health coverage for firefighters struggling with PTSI – a ten-year battle he refused to give up on. (His biggest obstacle: Ryan Mackenzie.)
Bob was raised primarily by a single mom who worked as a bartender to keep food on the table. By the time he turned 30, Bob had already held more jobs than most people do in a lifetime: dishwasher, short-order cook, bartender, landscaper, warehouse worker, pizza delivery driver, and more. He moved to Pennsylvania more than 30 years ago and never looked back.
In 2005, Bob joined the fire department and immediately got involved in his union – to help his fellow workers. Over two decades, he helped negotiate fairer contracts, fought for better healthcare, livable wages, and safer working conditions, and became a voice in Harrisburg for working families across the state.
His work isn’t about politics – it’s about fighting for the people. And Bob’s earned the respect of Democrats and Republicans alike by being honest, persistent, and never forgetting who he works for.
Bob also runs Brooks Lawn Care, a small family-operated snow removal and lawn care business he started in 2013. Whether plowing driveways at 4 a.m. or mowing lawns after a firefighting shift, Bob has never stopped hustling to provide for his family.
Bob lives in Nazareth with his wife Jen, with whom he has a family of four children – Keith (a volunteer fire chief himself), Austin, Hunter, and Mason – and is a proud grandpa to two granddaughters, Elliana and Lucy. Bob and Jen raise a bulldog named Aspen.
For over two decades, Bob has coached youth and varsity baseball at Nazareth Area High School.
Earlier this year, Bob retired from his dream job – fighting fires. Bob loves working, but has seen too many of his friends work too many shifts to keep up with rising costs. When Congressman MacKenzie once again voted to cut taxes for billionaires, cut health care for his neighbors, and screw working people, Bob decided to run for Congress.
His tattoo is of a bulldog in a fire helmet.
