Democrat Janelle Stelson topples GOP Rep. Scott Perry in Pennsylvania’s 10th District

In one of the most competitive Congressional districts in the country, Democrat Janelle Stelson defeated seven-term incumbent Rep. Scott Perry, a staunch Trump supporter and a longtime target for her party.

The race was a rematch. Stelson unsuccessfully challenged Perry in 2024, losing by roughly 5,100 votes, or just over 1% of the vote. But Democrats were hopeful that, in a year where political tailwinds appeared to be on their side, she could overcome that hurdle in this year.

“Our campaign has never been about a single party,” Stelson told a crowd of supporters in Hummelstown after her race was called. “It’s been about listening, it’s been about decency, it’s been about common sense.”

Stelson’s win is part of a Democratic wave that flipped the commonwealth’s U.S. House delegation by four seats — from 10-7 in favor of the GOP to a Democratic majority that will be 11-6.

Perry, the former chair of the House Freedom Caucus, is one of President Donald Trump’s staunchest supporters in congress. He has been a vocal advocate for some of his administration’s most controversial policies, including its decision to go to war in Iran and enact sweeping cuts to the Medicaid program.

He was also a key ally in Congress during Trump’s unprecedented attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Despite no evidence of widespread fraud, Perry voted not to certify Democrat Joe Biden as the winner after rioters temporarily forced Congress from its chambers on Jan. 6, 2021.

Stelson, a former Republican and WGAL news anchor, pitched herself as a moderate Democrat. She ran on bringing down the cost of living, repealing the Trump administration’s tariffs, ending the war in Iran, and protecting abortion access. She also criticized “far-left members of the Democratic Party who support open borders and defunding police.”

At a speech after her race was called, Stelson told a group of supporters that the first thing she hopes to do in Washington is push to end the war in Iran.

“We need to bring our military women and men home,” she said.

She also stressed her commitment to ethics reforms, calling for term limits in Congress and the U.S. Supreme Court, promising to serve a maximum of 12 years, regardless of whether legislation is passed. She also called to ban congressional stock trading and closing the revolving door, which sees government officials leave for lobbying jobs and return again.

Stelson also said she wants to addres what she called the “economic crisis” by pushing to repeal tariffs, make Medicaid more affordable following premium hikes, and bring down drug prices.

“I wanna say something now to the people who didn’t vote for me,” Stelson added. “And that is that the job title is U.S. Representative. Not everyone’s gonna think what I think. You probably have a lot better ideas, and it’s really important I listen and carry those voices to the halls of Washington.”

The 10th District includes all of Dauphin and parts of Cumberland and York Counties, encompassing the state capital Harrisburg and the city of York.

The race drew national attention and became one of the most expensive in the state. About a week ahead of the election, the candidates’ campaigns had collectively raised around $16 million, with Stelson having a roughly $2.4 million edge. Though the difference was made up in outside spending.

As of Oct. 24, according to the nonpartisan money-in-politics tracker Opensecrets, over $12.2 million had been spent opposing Stelson or supporting Perry, compared to over $9.6 million supporting Stelson or opposing Perry.

In a race seen as potentially decisive in determining partisan control of Congress, both candidates drew support from high profile members of their party. Stelson campaigned with Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro. Perry was joined at a rally by U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.).

The final weeks of the campaign were marked by viscous and dubious messaging. Perry’s campaign ran ads misleadingly accusing Stelson of engaging in public nudity. The allegation was sourced to one of Stelson’s neighbors, though neither she nor the Perry campaign provided proof.

Reporting on the unproven claims led several TV stations in the district to pull the ad.

Perry also attempted to connect Stelson to an undocumented immigrant who was arrested and charged with indecent exposure and disorderly conduct. He pleaded guilty to the latter.

According to a Department of Homeland Security press release, the man, Chimaobim Ibojekwe, was arrested for exposing himself in public while working as a canvasser for Stelson’s campaign.

Stelson’s campaign denied employing the man and said his name never appeared in their volunteer database. Federal campaign finance records confirm he was never paid by the campaign.

The nonprofit watchdog organization Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington accused DHS of violating the Hatch Act, a federal law that prohibits public officials from using their offices to influence elections, by publicizing the event and connecting it to Stelson’s campaign.

Stelson will be sworn in on Jan. 3, 2027.