Carol Obando-Derstine

[{"question": "Ballotpedia survey responses", "answer_html": "<p>See also: <a href=\"/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\">Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection</a></p>\n<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-xs-10 col-md-6 col-xs-offset-1 col-md-offset-3\"><p><a href=\"https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\"><img align=\"middle\" alt=\"Candidate Connection\" src=\"https://cdn.ballotpedia.org/images/8/88/Candidate_Connection_Logo.png\" width=\"90%\"/></a></p></div></div>\n<p>Carol Obando-Derstine completed <a href=\"/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\">Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection</a> survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Obando-Derstine's responses.</p>\n<p><span class=\"expand-all\">Expand all</span> | <span class=\"collapse-all\">Collapse all</span></p>\n<div aria-multiselectable=\"true\" class=\"panel-group\" id=\"accordion\" role=\"tablist\"><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-bio-353537-2025-11-04\" id=\"heading-bio-353537-2025-11-04\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse-bio-353537-2025-11-04\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-bio-353537-2025-11-04\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWho are you? Tell us about yourself.\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading-bio-353537-2025-11-04\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse-bio-353537-2025-11-04\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tCarol Obando-Derstine is a Democratic candidate for Congress in Pennsylvania’s 7th District. An engineer, bilingual community leader, and proud mother, she brings over 25 years of experience in the nonprofit, public, and private sectors. At PPL Electric Utilities, she led energy transition and grid modernization efforts. She also served as Regional Manager and Statewide Latino Affairs Advisor for U.S. Senator Bob Casey and previously led the SkillsUSA Council and the Children’s Coalition of the Lehigh Valley. Carol’s blend of technical expertise, public service, and lived experience drives her fight for working families.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-key-message-353537-2025-11-04\" id=\"heading-key-message-353537-2025-11-04\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse-key-message-353537-2025-11-04\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-key-message-353537-2025-11-04\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tPlease list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading-key-message-353537-2025-11-04\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse-key-message-353537-2025-11-04\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\"><ul><li>I'm going to fight for economic change. \r\n<p>To build an economy where working families like the one I grew up in can afford housing, groceries and utilities, and have a pathway to real prosperity. That includes supporting small businesses so they thrive and flourish, thereby providing family-sustaining jobs.\r\n</p>\nIt also includes supporting career and technical training and incentivizing good-paying manufacturing jobs.</li><li>I'm going to fight for our bodies, for affordable energy, and for the American Dream. \r\n\r\nI’m running to protect our right to choose what to do with our own bodies.\r\n\r\nI will push for a resilient energy sector leading to job opportunities while ensuring that everyday residents can afford their energy bills.\r\n\r\nI will never stop fighting against shameful policies that tear away at the American Dream, make us less free, and make life harder for every single American.</li><li>I'm going to stand up to extremist Republicans. \r\n\r\nI will not stand by as Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and Ryan Mackenzie rip away healthcare from millions of Americans and take food off families’ tables to give trillions in tax cuts to their billionaire donors.\r\n\r\nI’m blessed to be living my American Dream, and I have always tried to pay it forward every day to help families living on the economic edge not just get by, but to thrive.</li></ul></span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse1-353537-2025-11-04\" id=\"heading1-353537-2025-11-04\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse1-353537-2025-11-04\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse1-353537-2025-11-04\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading1-353537-2025-11-04\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse1-353537-2025-11-04\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tAffordability, clean energy innovation, civil and reproductive rights, immigration reform.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse2-353537-2025-11-04\" id=\"heading2-353537-2025-11-04\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse2-353537-2025-11-04\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse2-353537-2025-11-04\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading2-353537-2025-11-04\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse2-353537-2025-11-04\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tI have lived in my district for over two decades and worked across non-profits, federal policy, Latino community outreach, and clean energy innovation. When I am elected, my core motivation will be fighting for the residents of PA-07 everyday. To make sure they can not just survive, but thrive, in this district.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse3-353537-2025-11-04\" id=\"heading3-353537-2025-11-04\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse3-353537-2025-11-04\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse3-353537-2025-11-04\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading3-353537-2025-11-04\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse3-353537-2025-11-04\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tFormer Congresswoman for PA-07 Susan Wild, EMILYs List, Congressional Hispanic Caucus' BOLD PAC, Latino Victory Fund, PODER PAC, 314 Action, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar, and a slate of local and state elected officials and community leaders in Pennsylvania.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse4-353537-2025-11-04\" id=\"heading4-353537-2025-11-04\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse4-353537-2025-11-04\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse4-353537-2025-11-04\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat is an accomplishment that you are proud of?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading4-353537-2025-11-04\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse4-353537-2025-11-04\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tAside from my career achievements and the strengths I can bring to this seat, I am very proud to have raised two amazing children and to have a wonderful marriage of nearly 25 years.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div></div>\n<div class=\"small\" data-nosnippet=\"\"><p><i><b>Note:</b> Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.</i></p></div>\n<div><div style=\"margin-bottom:1.5rem\"><h4>Campaign website</h4><p>Obando-Derstine's campaign website stated the following:</p><div style=\"max-height:400px;overflow-y:auto;border:1px solid #ccc;padding:10px;margin:20px\"><blockquote style=\"margin:0px\"><h3><a href=\"https://www.carolforpa.com/priorities/#\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" style=\"background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Lower Costs for Working Families</strong></a></h3><p><span style=\"background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">Too many families in our district are working hard and still falling behind. According to the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley, 41% of families in PA-07 struggle to afford the basics: housing, healthcare, groceries, utilities, and child care. Carol will fight for policies that make everyday life more affordable.</span></p><p><span style=\"background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">Carol will:</span></p><ul><li><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Raise the federal minimum wage and tie it to inflation so paychecks keep up with rising costs. Every American working full-time should be able to afford the basics – period.</span></li><li><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Expand middle-class tax credits and roll back tax giveaways for billionaire donors so everyone pays their fair share.</span></li><li><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Strengthen the Earned Income Tax Credit so work is rewarded and families keep more of what they earn.</span></li><li><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Protect Social Security by lifting the payroll tax cap and ensuring the program is fully funded for future generations.</span></li><li><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Roll back harmful tariffs from the Trump Administration that drive up the cost of groceries, home electronics, and home construction.</span></li></ul><h3><a href=\"https://www.carolforpa.com/priorities/#\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" style=\"background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Housing Affordability and Utility Bills</strong></a></h3><p><span style=\"background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">Working families and small businesses deserve safe, stable, and affordable housing and utilities. As an energy expert and housing access advocate, Carol brings real-world experience to Congress, including helping small businesses cut energy costs through energy audits while working at Lehigh University’s Industrial Assessment Center, and reducing energy bills for seniors and low-income families during her time at PPL.</span></p><p><span style=\"background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">Carol will:</span></p><ul><li><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Expand and modernize federal affordable housing programs so they reach the lowest-income families.</span></li><li><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Establish the first-ever Office of Tenant Rights at the federal level to educate and protect tenants from predatory landlords.</span></li><li><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Crack down on Wall Street and large corporations that buy up homes and price families out of their own neighborhoods.</span></li><li><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Support incentives for first-time homebuyers, including closing cost assistance, loan incentives, and first-time homebuyer savings accounts.</span></li><li><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Restore clean energy and efficiency incentives that lower electric bills and create good-paying union jobs.</span></li><li><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Protect the Energy Star Program.</span></li><li><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Protect funding for Industrial Assessment Centers, including Lehigh University’s IAC.</span></li></ul><h3><a href=\"https://www.carolforpa.com/priorities/#\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" style=\"background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Quality, Affordable Health Care</strong></a></h3><p><span style=\"background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">Health care should be a right – not a privilege for those who can afford it. Carol has seen what happens when people go without the care they need. She will fight back against the attacks on health care that Ryan Mackenzie and Republicans in Washington are pushing, putting thousands in our district at risk of losing essential coverage.</span></p><p><span style=\"background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">Carol will:</span></p><ul><li><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Expand access to affordable, high-quality coverage by strengthening the Affordable Care Act and its subsidies.</span></li><li><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Extend the Enhanced Premium Tax Credits that make marketplace insurance more affordable.</span></li><li><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Allow Medicare and Medicaid to negotiate lower prescription drug prices.</span></li><li><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Fight for a future with universal health care.</span></li></ul><h3><a href=\"https://www.carolforpa.com/priorities/#\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" style=\"background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Supporting Parents and Caregivers</strong></a></h3><p><span style=\"background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">As the mother of teenagers and the caretaker for aging parents, Carol understands the challenges of the “sandwich generation.”</span></p><p><span style=\"background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">Carol will:</span></p><ul><li><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Expand Child Care Development Block Grants (CCDBG) to increase access to affordable, high-quality child care.</span></li><li><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Protect Head Start so more children can access early childhood education.</span></li><li><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Ensure caregivers can access critical health information with appropriate patient consent under HIPAA.</span></li><li><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Support the FAMILY Act to create a national paid leave program providing 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave.</span></li><li><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Restore SNAP and WIC funding cut in the “Big Ugly Budget Bill” to combat food insecurity.</span></li></ul><h3><a href=\"https://www.carolforpa.com/priorities/#\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" style=\"background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Energy, Infrastructure, and Technology</strong></a></h3><p><span style=\"background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">As an energy engineer, Carol knows reliable and affordable energy is essential to families and to our economy. She supports innovation that brings good jobs to our region – so long as it puts communities first. As Pennsylvanians grow more concerned about AI’s impact on jobs, privacy, and electricity costs, Carol is the expert we need to fight for a balanced approach that protects workers and consumers.</span></p><p><span style=\"background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">Carol will:</span></p><ul><li><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Create a clear federal framework for AI developed with independent experts, workers, and consumers – not just big tech lobbyists.</span></li><li><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Protect the right of states and local governments to regulate data centers, energy use, water use, and privacy.</span></li><li><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Require companies receiving federal contracts to retrain and support workers displaced by AI.</span></li><li><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Strengthen antitrust laws so tech monopolies cannot control the market.</span></li></ul><h3><a href=\"https://www.carolforpa.com/priorities/#\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" style=\"background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Democracy</strong></a></h3><p><span style=\"background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">Carol will defend the freedoms and civil rights that make our communities strong and our democracy work.</span></p><p><span style=\"background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">Carol will:</span></p><ul><li><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Protect voting rights by supporting the For the People Act.</span></li><li><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Defend marriage equality and advance fairness and equality for LGBTQIA+ people.</span></li><li><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Strengthen civil rights protections in policing, schools, immigration, and housing.</span></li><li><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Increase oversight so no one is above the law.</span></li><li><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Support common-sense gun safety legislation, youth mental health funding, and violence prevention education.</span></li></ul><h3><a href=\"https://www.carolforpa.com/priorities/#\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" style=\"background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Women’s Rights</strong></a></h3><p><span style=\"background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">At a time when anti-choice extremists like Ryan Mackenzie are advancing policies that make pregnancy more dangerous and threaten access to reproductive care, Carol will fight to protect our fundamental freedom to make personal health care decisions. She will work to pass legislation that protects women’s health, strengthens our rights, and expands real economic opportunity for families across the Lehigh Valley.</span></p><p><span style=\"background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">Carol will:</span></p><ul><li><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Fight to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act to close the gender wage gap.</span></li><li><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Fully reauthorize and strengthen the Violence Against Women Act.</span></li><li><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">End workplace discrimination and roll back policies that target women and minority communities in the workplace and military.</span></li><li><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Defend reproductive freedom and gender-affirming care, and codify Roe v. Wade into federal law.</span></li></ul><h3><a href=\"https://www.carolforpa.com/priorities/#\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" style=\"background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Immigration Reform</strong></a></h3><p><span style=\"background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">As an immigrant from Colombia, immigration is personal for Carol. She believes we can secure the border while fixing a broken system in a legal, effective, and humane way.</span></p><p><span style=\"background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">Carol will:</span></p><ul><li><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Fight for bipartisan immigration reform, including legislation like the Dignity Act that creates a fair pathway to citizenship.</span></li><li><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Expand the number of immigration judges, hire additional support staff, and modernize court systems so families aren’t stuck in years-long legal limbo and cases are handled efficiently and fairly.</span></li><li><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Fully reopen DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) applications, continue renewals without interruption, and ensure stable federal funding so Dreamers can work, pursue their education, and contribute to our communities without fear.</span></li><li><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Stand up to the Trump Administration’s targeting of immigrant communities. No one in America should ever fear being detained, disappeared, or separated from their family because of how they look – full stop.</span></li></ul><h3><a href=\"https://www.carolforpa.com/priorities/#\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" style=\"background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Changing Washington</strong></a></h3><p><span style=\"background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">Washington is rigged for the wealthy and the well-connected. Carol is running to unrig the system and put government back to work for everyday people.</span></p><p><span style=\"background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">Carol will:</span></p><ul><li><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Support congressional term limits.</span></li><li><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Ban members of Congress from trading stocks.</span></li><li><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">End Citizens United.</span></li><li><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Ban partisan and racial gerrymandering.</span></li><li><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Strengthen ethics rules for federal officeholders.</span></li></ul><h3><a href=\"https://www.carolforpa.com/priorities/#\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" style=\"background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Good Jobs, Strengthening Unions, and Growing Small Businesses in PA-07</strong></a></h3><p><span style=\"background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">As the daughter of union workers, a former workforce development leader, and the wife of a small business owner, Carol knows that strong unions and small businesses are the backbone of a thriving middle class.</span></p><p><span style=\"background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">Carol will:</span></p><ul><li><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Pass the PRO Act to protect the right of workers to organize and bargain for better pay and safer workplaces.</span></li><li><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Invest in Small Business Development Centers and mentorship programs like SCORE.</span></li><li><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Expand career and technical education and strengthen pathways from high school to apprenticeships, community college, and good-paying jobs.</span></li><li><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Support efforts to reshore manufacturing and strengthen domestic supply chains.</span></li><li><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Protect investments in innovation through the CHIPS and Science Act and Inflation Reduction Act.</span></li><li><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Restore key positions eliminated by DOGE at the National Labs focused on research and innovation advancing energy solutions.</span></li><li><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Preserve pro-innovation tax incentives that support research and development for startups and small businesses.</span></li><li><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Introduce an AI Adjustment Assistance for Workers Act, fashioned after the Trade Adjustment Assistance for Workers (TAA) that provides federal assistance, retraining, income support, and relocation help for workers who involuntarily lost their jobs due to AI.</span></li></ul><p><br/></p></blockquote><div style=\"text-align: right; font-size: 0.9em; color: #555; margin-top: 0.5em;\"><p style=\"font-size:0.9em;color:#555\">— Carol Obando-Derstine's <a href=\"https://www.carolforpa.com/priorities/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">campaign website</a> (April 7, 2026)</p></div></div></div><div style=\"text-align: center; font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0.5em;\"><i>Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.</i></div></div>", "answer_text": "See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection\n\nCarol Obando-Derstine completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Obando-Derstine's responses.\nExpand all | Collapse all\nWho are you? Tell us about yourself. Carol Obando-Derstine is a Democratic candidate for Congress in Pennsylvania’s 7th District. An engineer, bilingual community leader, and proud mother, she brings over 25 years of experience in the nonprofit, public, and private sectors. At PPL Electric Utilities, she led energy transition and grid modernization efforts. She also served as Regional Manager and Statewide Latino Affairs Advisor for U.S. Senator Bob Casey and previously led the SkillsUSA Council and the Children’s Coalition of the Lehigh Valley. Carol’s blend of technical expertise, public service, and lived experience drives her fight for working families. Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office? I'm going to fight for economic change. To build an economy where working families like the one I grew up in can afford housing, groceries and utilities, and have a pathway to real prosperity. That includes supporting small businesses so they thrive and flourish, thereby providing family-sustaining jobs. It also includes supporting career and technical training and incentivizing good-paying manufacturing jobs. I'm going to fight for our bodies, for affordable energy, and for the American Dream. \r\n\r\nI’m running to protect our right to choose what to do with our own bodies.\r\n\r\nI will push for a resilient energy sector leading to job opportunities while ensuring that everyday residents can afford their energy bills.\r\n\r\nI will never stop fighting against shameful policies that tear away at the American Dream, make us less free, and make life harder for every single American. I'm going to stand up to extremist Republicans. \r\n\r\nI will not stand by as Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and Ryan Mackenzie rip away healthcare from millions of Americans and take food off families’ tables to give trillions in tax cuts to their billionaire donors.\r\n\r\nI’m blessed to be living my American Dream, and I have always tried to pay it forward every day to help families living on the economic edge not just get by, but to thrive. What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? Affordability, clean energy innovation, civil and reproductive rights, immigration reform. What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office? I have lived in my district for over two decades and worked across non-profits, federal policy, Latino community outreach, and clean energy innovation. When I am elected, my core motivation will be fighting for the residents of PA-07 everyday. To make sure they can not just survive, but thrive, in this district. What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign? Former Congresswoman for PA-07 Susan Wild, EMILYs List, Congressional Hispanic Caucus' BOLD PAC, Latino Victory Fund, PODER PAC, 314 Action, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar, and a slate of local and state elected officials and community leaders in Pennsylvania. What is an accomplishment that you are proud of? Aside from my career achievements and the strengths I can bring to this seat, I am very proud to have raised two amazing children and to have a wonderful marriage of nearly 25 years.\nNote: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.\nCampaign website Obando-Derstine's campaign website stated the following: Lower Costs for Working Families Too many families in our district are working hard and still falling behind. According to the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley, 41% of families in PA-07 struggle to afford the basics: housing, healthcare, groceries, utilities, and child care. Carol will fight for policies that make everyday life more affordable. Carol will: Raise the federal minimum wage and tie it to inflation so paychecks keep up with rising costs. Every American working full-time should be able to afford the basics – period. Expand middle-class tax credits and roll back tax giveaways for billionaire donors so everyone pays their fair share. Strengthen the Earned Income Tax Credit so work is rewarded and families keep more of what they earn. Protect Social Security by lifting the payroll tax cap and ensuring the program is fully funded for future generations. Roll back harmful tariffs from the Trump Administration that drive up the cost of groceries, home electronics, and home construction. Housing Affordability and Utility Bills Working families and small businesses deserve safe, stable, and affordable housing and utilities. As an energy expert and housing access advocate, Carol brings real-world experience to Congress, including helping small businesses cut energy costs through energy audits while working at Lehigh University’s Industrial Assessment Center, and reducing energy bills for seniors and low-income families during her time at PPL. Carol will: Expand and modernize federal affordable housing programs so they reach the lowest-income families. Establish the first-ever Office of Tenant Rights at the federal level to educate and protect tenants from predatory landlords. Crack down on Wall Street and large corporations that buy up homes and price families out of their own neighborhoods. Support incentives for first-time homebuyers, including closing cost assistance, loan incentives, and first-time homebuyer savings accounts. Restore clean energy and efficiency incentives that lower electric bills and create good-paying union jobs. Protect the Energy Star Program. Protect funding for Industrial Assessment Centers, including Lehigh University’s IAC. Quality, Affordable Health Care Health care should be a right – not a privilege for those who can afford it. Carol has seen what happens when people go without the care they need. She will fight back against the attacks on health care that Ryan Mackenzie and Republicans in Washington are pushing, putting thousands in our district at risk of losing essential coverage. Carol will: Expand access to affordable, high-quality coverage by strengthening the Affordable Care Act and its subsidies. Extend the Enhanced Premium Tax Credits that make marketplace insurance more affordable. Allow Medicare and Medicaid to negotiate lower prescription drug prices. Fight for a future with universal health care. Supporting Parents and Caregivers As the mother of teenagers and the caretaker for aging parents, Carol understands the challenges of the “sandwich generation.” Carol will: Expand Child Care Development Block Grants (CCDBG) to increase access to affordable, high-quality child care. Protect Head Start so more children can access early childhood education. Ensure caregivers can access critical health information with appropriate patient consent under HIPAA. Support the FAMILY Act to create a national paid leave program providing 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave. Restore SNAP and WIC funding cut in the “Big Ugly Budget Bill” to combat food insecurity. Energy, Infrastructure, and Technology As an energy engineer, Carol knows reliable and affordable energy is essential to families and to our economy. She supports innovation that brings good jobs to our region – so long as it puts communities first. As Pennsylvanians grow more concerned about AI’s impact on jobs, privacy, and electricity costs, Carol is the expert we need to fight for a balanced approach that protects workers and consumers. Carol will: Create a clear federal framework for AI developed with independent experts, workers, and consumers – not just big tech lobbyists. Protect the right of states and local governments to regulate data centers, energy use, water use, and privacy. Require companies receiving federal contracts to retrain and support workers displaced by AI. Strengthen antitrust laws so tech monopolies cannot control the market. Democracy Carol will defend the freedoms and civil rights that make our communities strong and our democracy work. Carol will: Protect voting rights by supporting the For the People Act. Defend marriage equality and advance fairness and equality for LGBTQIA+ people. Strengthen civil rights protections in policing, schools, immigration, and housing. Increase oversight so no one is above the law. Support common-sense gun safety legislation, youth mental health funding, and violence prevention education. Women’s Rights At a time when anti-choice extremists like Ryan Mackenzie are advancing policies that make pregnancy more dangerous and threaten access to reproductive care, Carol will fight to protect our fundamental freedom to make personal health care decisions. She will work to pass legislation that protects women’s health, strengthens our rights, and expands real economic opportunity for families across the Lehigh Valley. Carol will: Fight to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act to close the gender wage gap. Fully reauthorize and strengthen the Violence Against Women Act. End workplace discrimination and roll back policies that target women and minority communities in the workplace and military. Defend reproductive freedom and gender-affirming care, and codify Roe v. Wade into federal law. Immigration Reform As an immigrant from Colombia, immigration is personal for Carol. She believes we can secure the border while fixing a broken system in a legal, effective, and humane way. Carol will: Fight for bipartisan immigration reform, including legislation like the Dignity Act that creates a fair pathway to citizenship. Expand the number of immigration judges, hire additional support staff, and modernize court systems so families aren’t stuck in years-long legal limbo and cases are handled efficiently and fairly. Fully reopen DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) applications, continue renewals without interruption, and ensure stable federal funding so Dreamers can work, pursue their education, and contribute to our communities without fear. Stand up to the Trump Administration’s targeting of immigrant communities. No one in America should ever fear being detained, disappeared, or separated from their family because of how they look – full stop. Changing Washington Washington is rigged for the wealthy and the well-connected. Carol is running to unrig the system and put government back to work for everyday people. Carol will: Support congressional term limits. Ban members of Congress from trading stocks. End Citizens United. Ban partisan and racial gerrymandering. Strengthen ethics rules for federal officeholders. Good Jobs, Strengthening Unions, and Growing Small Businesses in PA-07 As the daughter of union workers, a former workforce development leader, and the wife of a small business owner, Carol knows that strong unions and small businesses are the backbone of a thriving middle class. Carol will: Pass the PRO Act to protect the right of workers to organize and bargain for better pay and safer workplaces. Invest in Small Business Development Centers and mentorship programs like SCORE. Expand career and technical education and strengthen pathways from high school to apprenticeships, community college, and good-paying jobs. Support efforts to reshore manufacturing and strengthen domestic supply chains. Protect investments in innovation through the CHIPS and Science Act and Inflation Reduction Act. Restore key positions eliminated by DOGE at the National Labs focused on research and innovation advancing energy solutions. Preserve pro-innovation tax incentives that support research and development for startups and small businesses. Introduce an AI Adjustment Assistance for Workers Act, fashioned after the Trade Adjustment Assistance for Workers (TAA) that provides federal assistance, retraining, income support, and relocation help for workers who involuntarily lost their jobs due to AI. — Carol Obando-Derstine's campaign website (April 7, 2026) Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source."}, {"question": "Campaign ads", "answer_html": "<p><br/>\nBallotpedia did not come across any campaign ads for Carol Obando-Derstine while conducting research on this election. If you are aware of any ads that should be included, please <a class=\"external text\" href=\"mailto:editor@ballotpedia.org\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">email us</a>.\n</p>", "answer_text": "Ballotpedia did not come across any campaign ads for Carol Obando-Derstine while conducting research on this election. If you are aware of any ads that should be included, please email us ."}]