The town squares and tree-lined streets of south-central Pennsylvania appear to be part of a political battleground. On Keller Street near St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Mechanicsburg, one lawn is lined with blue Democratic campaign signs, but in the 18th-century town of Mt. There are red signs down the road from the busy Sheets gas station. sign promotes former president donald trump and Republican Rep. Scott Perryrepresenting the 10th Congressional District.
Democrats are bullish on their prospects here, as both parties focus on a number of races expected to be competitive in the state. Republicans have dismissed the idea that Perry, a six-term Republican and a graduate of the Army War College, is truly vulnerable. november.
The 10th District race has some distinguishing features and unique candidate backstories that propel this district into the spotlight, even in a state already saturated with high-stakes political races. be.
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Federal campaign finance records through the end of June showed Mr. Perry had a significant spending advantage over his Democratic challenger throughout the election cycle. But these recent filings also showed that Mr. Perry spent large amounts of his campaign money on lawyers, delaying his cash reserves and funds for re-election.
Democrats have found a high-profile challenger to run for Janelle Stelson’s seat. A newcomer to the political world, she is a longtime TV anchor for an influential television station based in York, Pennsylvania, and a familiar face in the 10th District.
Photo by Joe Lamberti for The Washington Post, via Getty Images
Mr. Stelson entered the race last October, but faced the common disadvantage of lost time against incumbents who were able to raise money months before announcing their candidacies. Nevertheless, from early April to the end of June, Stelson collected more than twice the amount that Perry brought in during the same period.
Perry, who won the district by 7 points in 2022, is highly regarded among his Republican colleagues. He previously served as chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus and has roots in Pennsylvania, having studied at Penn State University and served in the National Guard. But as Perry came under increasing scrutiny amid President Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, Democrats saw an opportunity to oust him.
The FBI temporarily seized and copied the data. perry’s phone He was also issued a subpoena on Jan. 6 by a House of Representatives select committee investigating whether he cooperated with efforts to field Trump allies at the Justice Department to support Trump’s efforts.
Perry has denied wrongdoing and was found not to comply with the commission’s subpoena. However, Democrats are emphasizing surveillance of Perry in order to boost Stelson’s campaign.
“He’s been in power for a long time, and I think people are hungry for something new,” Stelson told CBS News during a campaign stop in September. Stelson, like other Democratic challenges in House races across the country, cites improved fundraising as evidence that she is a formidable challenger.
“We were able to outscore a six-term incumbent by a factor of two in the last quarter, making the most vulnerable MAGA extremists in Congress even more vulnerable,” she said.
Democrats are touting Stelson’s competitive fundraising and her first series of ads. In one ad, Stelson claimed, “Perry isn’t about freedom. He’s all about power.”
“I’m fighting on behalf of the people I represent, and I think they know that,” Perry told CBS News as he headed to a party meeting in the basement of the Capitol in mid-September. .And I just tell my story.”
Perry also pushed back on questions about the subpoenas and scrutiny he received during the Jan. 6 House investigation.
“Let me characterize your question precisely. You say you are asking for an investigation, but you say it differently, but it is your proper role as a member of Congress to call for an investigation based on the wishes of so many of your constituents. ” he said.
The party’s House campaign arm, the National Republican Congressional Committee, is targeting Mr. Stelson to maintain the Republican majority in the House.
“Democrats left voters in Pennsylvania’s 10th District behind by adopting radical left-wing policies that increased crime, the cost of living, and created chaos at the border,” an NRCC spokesperson told CBS News. “As in previous cycles, Pennsylvania voters will reject out-of-touch Democrats who don’t even live in their districts.”
The 10th District race is part of a multi-front political battle between both parties in Pennsylvania. The Commonwealth of Nations is seen as a decisive, if not decisive, nation in the 2024 presidential election. Republicans are touting efforts to win two competitive House races in the Wilkes-Barre and Lehigh Valley areas. Meanwhile, Democratic Sen. Bob Casey, seeking a fourth term, is running a multimillion-dollar campaign to fend off Republican Dave McCormick.
Although Republicans deny that the 10th District is actually as competitive as other battleground races in Pennsylvania, Stelson said the political landscape in the district is changing. Ta.
“Hampden Township in Cumberland County is one of the fastest growing areas in the entire state, and the people coming in are bluer than the people who were there before,” she told CBS News. Ta.
Stelson’s unique background adds variables to the race. Stelson, a longtime TV anchor for the local NBC affiliate, has more name recognition than other political candidates. She has emphasized her profile in campaign ads, speeches and an interview with CBS News.
“If I wasn’t sitting in your living room writing an article about you, I could be watching TV in your living room,” she said. “So as a trusted bipartisan voice for 38 years, I think people are responding well to that.”
Pennsylvania’s governor attended several legislative elections over the summer. Josh Shapiroa Democrat who has been an active surrogate for his party’s candidates, including Vice President Kamala Harris.
At a September 7 campaign volunteer meeting in Harrisburg, Mr. Shapiro was all present to praise Mr. Stelson. Earlier this summer, at an event in Cumberland County, he called Stelson “a voice you can trust.”
One of Mr. Perry’s fellow House Republicans expressed confidence in Mr. Perry’s re-election.
“He ran a very good race last time, and I think he’s doing the same thing now,” Rep. Lloyd Smucker told CBS News.
NRCC spokesman Mike Marinella believes it will be difficult for Democrats to invest heavily in Pennsylvania’s 10th District in the final days of the campaign. “Their resources are spread thinly and it will be more difficult for them to be competitive in this district,” he predicted.
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