‘I’m tired of getting kicked in the teeth’: firefighting union leader seeks to shake up Congress

Pennsylvania’s Bob Brooks is one of a slew of working-class Democrats on the ballot – can he beat a Koch-backed rival? Bob Brooks has worked a lot of jobs, sometimes several at once to make ends meet. He was a paper boy at age 10, and then a dishwasher, prep cook, pizza deliverer, bartender and truck driver. Even after he became a firefighter in 2005, Brooks managed to start a snow-removal and lawn-care business and coach baseball. Continue reading...

Michael Sainato · Mon, Jun 8, 2026, 3:00 AM
US news | The Guardian

‘I’m tired of getting kicked in the teeth’: firefighting union leader seeks to shake up Congress

Pennsylvania’s Bob Brooks is one of a slew of working-class Democrats on the ballot – can he beat a Koch-backed rival?

Bob Brooks has worked a lot of jobs, sometimes several at once to make ends meet.

He was a paper boy at age 10, and then a dishwasher, prep cook, pizza deliverer, bartender and truck driver. Even after he became a firefighter in 2005, Brooks managed to start a snow-removal and lawn-care business and coach baseball.

This page shows an excerpt; reporting belongs to the original publisher. Some images or embeds may be omitted compared with the live article.