Candidates Face-off and Debate for Lehigh County Executive at LCCC

Eddie Zobel | Writer

Candidates, Democratic nominee Josh Siegel, left, and Republican nominee Roger MacLean, right, go head-to-head in debate at LCCC

The two primary candidates for Lehigh County Executive went head-to-head at Lehigh Carbon Community College’s Community Services Center on Oct. 8. Democrat Josh Siegel and Republican Roger MacLean made their cases on why they should lead the county for the next four years.

Former Allentown Police Chief, Roger MacLean, spoke about his experience as a leader, from serving more than 40 years on the police force to his tenure on the Allentown City Council.

MacLean laid out his plan of limiting and installing security cameras around ballot boxes, continuing the funding of police and protecting identities of federal agents.

Pennsylvania State Rep. Josh Siegel had different priorities for the county. Siegel addressed the housing crisis, and talked about making housing more affordable for new homeowners looking for a starter home. The Democratic nominee opposed MacLean’s idea to limit ballot boxes, and instead called for the expansion of them.

The two candidates battled heavily on the issue of policing. Siegel introduced a group violence reduction model designed to give individuals assistance and opportunities to prevent them from potentially committing a crime. The State Rep. also introduced a co-responder model where mental health professionals would assist police officers in specific cases to protect officers and individuals having mental health episodes.

MacLean opposed this, crediting his experience on the police force.

“Those calls can go south quickly,” he said.

MacLean explained that officers should look into backgrounds of suspects before responding to calls to ensure safety, avoiding cases like the shooting in York County earlier this year.

LCCC students were present at the debate and felt more connected to local politics than ever. 

Nikki Valez, one of the LCCC students that attended said, “I think that being a part of [the debate] tells me much more specifically how the government is going to affect my life for the next 4 years… more than anything else could.”

The debate was moderated by former Lehigh County Commissioner, Brad Osborne, and the election is set to take place Nov. 4.