Democrat Janelle Stelson Unseats GOP Rep. Scott Perry In Pennsylvania

Democrat Janelle Stelson defeated Republican Rep. Scott Perry on Tuesday in Pennsylvania's 10th Congressional District, unseating the former House Freedom Caucus chair in a closely watched U.S. House race.^[1]

The Associated Press called the race for Stelson at 10:41 p.m. Eastern, handing Democrats a key pickup in a swing district centered on Harrisburg and ending Perry's bid for an eighth term in Congress.^[1]

Stelson, a former local television news anchor, first challenged Perry in 2024 and lost, then quickly emerged as Democrats' preferred candidate to try again in 2026 as abortion rights and the future of the Trump-era tax cuts grew into defining issues in the district.^[1] In this year's rematch she campaigned heavily against Perry's opposition to abortion rights and his support for former President Donald Trump's tax package, arguing that those policies hurt middle-class families and were out of step with suburban voters in the redrawn district.^[1]

Perry, a conservative hard-liner who once led the House Freedom Caucus, ran on his record of opposing Biden administration spending, backing strict border policies and defending the Trump tax cuts that Stelson attacked, while casting his opponent as too liberal for the region.^[1] His defeat underscores the vulnerability of high-profile conservative incumbents in competitive districts where abortion access and economic anxiety have dominated campaign messaging since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and as key provisions of the 2017 tax law near expiration.

1. PBS News