Democrat Janelle Stelson will run against Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA) again in Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional District. She lost to the Republican in 2024 by less than 1 point.
Stelson, a former news anchor, outperformed the area’s R+3 lean in 2024 and is expected to mount one of the more competitive races of 2026.
In her campaign against him, she will focus on Perry’s association with the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The public’s perception of the bill, which keeps President Donald Trump’s tax cuts in place but cuts Medicaid and SNAP, will likely determine whether the GOP keeps the House after the 2026 midterm elections.
Stelson aims to make Perry, a former Freedom Caucus chairman, look like an extremist.
“The story about Scott Perry just keeps getting worse,” Stelson told the Associated Press.
She said he was the “deciding vote” on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and echoed concerns about the bill, such as its effect on local hospitals and Medicaid.
“This has disastrous, possibly deadly consequences, and Scott Perry did that,” Stelson said.
Perry said the bill will “end damaging ‘Green New Scam’ subsidies, lock in critical and additional reductions in spending,” and speed up efforts to make sure Medicaid benefits are reserved for “vulnerable Americans and not illegal aliens.”
Perry’s campaign account had about $550,000 in cash on hand as of the end of March, according to the Federal Election Commission. His campaign said his fundraising has been the strongest since he entered Congress and that the issues he ran on in 2024 remain relevant.
Perry and Stelson’s 2024 race was one of the most expensive in the country, with more than $24 million spent. The Pennsylvania seat will be a top priority for Democrats to flip in 2026 as they look to regain control of the chamber.
Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA) will hold a fundraiser for Stelson to help her clear the field in the Democratic primary.
A poll commissioned by the Democratic House Majority PAC shows Stelson ahead of Perry, 46% to 43%. Perry also has a 49% disapproval rating, with 36% approval.
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Trump won Perry’s district 51.82% to then-Vice President Kamala Harris’s 46.62% in 2024.
The Cook Political Report rates Perry’s district as a “Republican toss-up” for 2026.