Republican Pennsylvania Rep. Scott Perry is expected to win his reelection bid against Democratic rival Janelle Stelson in the state’s 10th Congressional District.
With 99% of the vote counted, Perry had 50.8% to Stelson’s 49.2%. We expect President-elect Donald Trump to win Pennsylvania at the presidential level.
The victory brings the GOP one member closer to the 218 seats needed to secure a House majority. As of Thursday afternoon, the balance of power remained unclear, with Republicans ahead by 209 seats to Democrats’ 195.
Perry has been a Pennsylvania congressman since 2013, representing the state’s 10th District, which covers Harrisburg, Dauphin County, and portions of Cumberland and York counties.
Despite the majority of attention being on Pennsylvania’s presidential and Senate races, the campaign for the district seat has recently heated up.
Former President Trump has endorsed Perry, the former chair of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, who has campaigned on issues such as cracking down on illegal immigration, American energy independence, protecting women’s sports, and reining in inflation due to spending increases by the radical Left.
Perry faced Stelson, a veteran Harrisburg TV journalist for decades. Just days before the election, the Democratic opponent received endorsements from former Republican House members who worked with Perry. Former Representatives Barbara Comstock, Adam Kinzinger, Denver Riggleman, Dave Trott, and Joe Walsh endorsed Stelson last week and formed a “Republicans for Janelle” group.
Stelson campaigned on themes such as maintaining abortion access following the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, hiring more border agents to improve border security, and lowering Pennsylvanians’ cost of living.
Before a debate last month, the two traded insults, with Perry highlighting legislation he supported before Trump’s administration when voters’ living costs were lower.
He told reporters, “I voted for the largest tax cut in history, giving people in this district and across the country, in Pennsylvania, more money in their pockets.” “When I was in Congress four years ago, when President Trump was there, wages were the highest they have ever been since the Carter administration.”
Meanwhile, Stelson worked to raise the minimum wage.
“Pennsylvania has a $7.25 an hour minimum wage,” she informed me. “Each state around us has nearly doubled. West Virginia has a higher rate, but the cost of living is significantly lower.