U.S. Rep Susan Wild (left) and her challenger Lisa Scheller (right) will participate in a congressional candidates forum hosted by LVEDC. (courtesy photos)

It’s not too late to register for a forum the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC) will host on Oct. 8 with the candidates seeking to represent Pennsylvania’s 7th district in the U.S. House of Representatives.

U.S. Rep. Susan Wild, a Democrat, and her Republican challenger Lisa Scheller will both participate in the forum, which will include questions with a particular focus on jobs, workforce development, and economic issues.

The forum will be streamed live on LVEDC’s Facebook page on Oct. 8 at 4 p.m., and a digital recording will remain available for viewing after the event and through Election Day on the LVEDC website.

Attendance is free but pre-registration is encouraged. Visit here for more information about the event or to register.

“This event is not meant to be a debate as much as a sharing of thoughts and ideas in response to questions from the stakeholders in economic growth and job creation in the Lehigh Valley,” said LVEDC President & CEO Don Cunningham.

“The forum will provide the candidates an opportunity to share their positions on issues related to the regional economy, jobs, and the workforce,” he said. “It will be an informative and enlightening forum for voters in the 7th District, and we appreciate the participation of both candidates.”

The questions will focus upon such issues as the federal economic response to the pandemic, economic stimulus measures, the reshoring of manufacturing, enhanced unemployment benefits, retraining workers, government support for community colleges and career and technical education, and other topics.

Scheller, an Allentown resident, is the President and Chair of Silberline Manufacturing Co., a maker of a key ingredient in paints and coatings, which recently opened a new manufacturing facility in Pennsylvania. She is also a member of the executive committee of the Aluminum Association of America, the leading advocacy group in that industry.

Scheller previously served on the Lehigh County Board of Commissioners, spending two years as board chair. During her time on the board, according to her website, she “gained a reputation as a fiscally conservative fighter who advocated for spending restraint, lower taxes, job creation and an end to special-interest giveaways.”

Wild, of South Whitehall Township, was elected to the House in 2018, becoming the first woman to represent Lehigh Valley in Congress, and the first Democrat to represent the region since 1999. She serves on the U.S. House Committees on Education and Labor, Ethics, and Foreign Affairs.

A member of the Lehigh Valley community for more than 30 years, Wild built a legal practice while raising her two children, and became the first woman appointed Allentown City Solicitor. On her website, Wild says she has been “a tough negotiator my whole career, winning battles in the courtroom and advocating for working-class families.”

Candidates will be presented with questions and be given equal time to answer them. There will be no rebuttals.

LVEDC also hosted a candidates forum in 2018 featuring the candidates seeking to represent what was then the newly-established Pennsylvania’s 7th district. That forum included Wild, Republican challenger Marty Nothstein, and Libertarian candidate Tim Silfies.