Who's running in Pennsylvania's 10th congressional district
2 candidates are on the ballot. Below is what each one says they stand for, what they have actually done in office or in public life, and the arguments published for and against them — each quoted from a named source rather than summarised by us.
2 candidates · ballot order · Scott Perry currently holds this seat
Medium confidenceMedium confidenceThe candidate's stated positions and basic record are documented, but coverage is thin — often little independent reporting, or criticism from only one side.What would raise it: More independent reporting, a documented voting record, or published criticism from a named opponent would raise this.
What they say they stand for
Their own words. Claims, not verified facts.
Hard-line fiscal conservatism, as a founding-era member and former chair of the House Freedom Caucus.
Cutting federal spending and shrinking federal agencies.
Opposition to extending Affordable Care Act subsidies.
Border security and immigration enforcement.
Second Amendment rights.
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
U.S. Representative since January 2013, for the 10th District since 2019; re-elected in 2024 by 5,133 votes.
Chair of the House Freedom Caucus from November 2021 to January 2022.
Retired brigadier general in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard.
The FBI seized his phone in August 2022 as part of the investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election; a federal judge later ruled that more than 90% of the 2,219 documents on it were not protected by the Constitution's speech-or-debate clause.
Endorsed for re-election by President Trump in November 2025.
Arguments in favor
President Trump endorsed his re-election, and he has the backing of the Speaker of the House and the main conservative outside groups.
— President Donald Trump; Speaker Mike Johnson; Club for Growth PAC and Turning Point Action
His campaign presents him as the most consistent fiscal conservative in the Pennsylvania delegation — a former Freedom Caucus chair who votes the same way in a swing district as he would in a safe one.
— The Perry campaign; Democratic strategists quoted by Spotlight PA described him as to the right of every other Pennsylvania Republican
Arguments against
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee says he called lowering health care costs a colossal mistake, and blames him with three other Pennsylvania Republicans for about 190,000 Pennsylvanians losing coverage as the enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits expired.
— Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
He was central enough to the effort to overturn the 2020 election that the FBI seized his phone, and the House January 6 committee said he sought a presidential pardon before Trump left office — which he denies, calling it a shameless and soulless lie.
— The House Select Committee on January 6; Justice Department filings reported by the Washington Post and NBC News
What we couldn’t verify
Perry has never been charged in connection with the January 6 investigation, and he denies having sought a pardon. The pardon allegation is the committee's, and it is disputed.
The DCCC's coverage-loss figure is the committee's own and was not independently verified here.
His 2026 fundraising was not established from sources read; reporting says his opponent has consistently outraised him.
An anti-corruption agenda: banning congressional stock trading, term limits, and overturning Citizens United.
Lowering health care costs and protecting coverage.
Respect for the rule of law, which Gov. Shapiro cited in endorsing her.
Release of the Epstein files, part of her transparency platform.
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
Television news anchor in the Harrisburg market for about thirty years.
Democratic nominee for this district in 2024; lost to Scott Perry 49.4% to 50.6%, by 5,133 votes.
Won the May 19, 2026 Democratic primary.
Has outraised the incumbent through the 2026 cycle, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Rents a home in Camp Hill inside the district while still owning her Lancaster County home; as of July 17, 2026 she was still registered to vote in Lancaster County, outside the district.
Arguments in favor
The governor of Pennsylvania endorsed her, calling her a decent, good, honourable person who respects the rule of law.
— Gov. Josh Shapiro
She came within about 5,100 votes of unseating him in 2024 and has kept outraising him since, which her campaign presents as evidence this is the year the seat turns over.
— The Stelson campaign, and Philadelphia Inquirer reporting on the fundraising
Arguments against
Perry's campaign calls her a carpetbagger who cannot vote for herself: she did not live in the district when she first ran, and as of July 2026 she was still registered to vote in Lancaster County and still owned her home there, though she now rents inside the district.
— Scott Perry's campaign spokesperson
Perry responded to her primary win by saying the more things change the more liberals remain the same, casting her as the same tax-raising candidate voters rejected less than two years earlier.
— Rep. Scott Perry
What we couldn’t verify
Perry's post-primary statement also applied a personal epithet to Stelson that no source substantiated; it is not repeated here, and the substantiated parts of the statement are what appear above.
Her campaign says she lives in the district full time; the voter registration and property records point the other way, and the two have not been reconciled in reporting read here.
Whether the residency question moved votes in 2024 was not established.
Positions and criticism are quoted from the named sources, not our assessments. This is built to help you start getting informed — confirm the official candidate list with your election authority before you vote.
Pennsylvania held its primary on May 19, 2026. This is a rematch: Republican incumbent Scott Perry beat Democrat Janelle Stelson by 5,133 votes, 50.6% to 49.4%, in 2024, and both won their primaries again in 2026. The district covers the Harrisburg and York areas — all of Dauphin County, most of Cumberland and the northern half of York — and is rated a toss-up by both the Cook Political Report and Sabato's Crystal Ball. Roster confirmed against Ballotpedia, Pennsylvania Capital-Star and City & State Pennsylvania.
This is one contest on a longer ballot
A Pennsylvania ballot also carries state legislative districts, county offices, judicial seats and often local questions — and which of them you vote on is decided by your street address, not your city or ZIP code.
Your ballot is determined by your election authority, not by us. Verify your registration, precinct, and sample ballot at Pennsylvania Department of State.