| A new profile in City & State PA is highlighting how Janelle Stelson is building momentum to unseat vulnerable Congressman Scott Perry.
City & State notes that Stelson “is aiming to bring fresh energy to [the] seat” and “has made affordability central to her 2026 campaign,” along with an “anti-corruption agenda.”
“Fourteen years in Congress… and Scott Perry continues to vote to hurt us, not help us,” Stelson told City & State. She added: “I’ve been listening for more than 30 years as a broadcast journalist… Now I can take those voices to the halls of Congress.”
Read key highlights from the profile of Stelson here:
City & State PA: Janelle Stelson works toward a November rematch with Scott Perry
- After falling just shy of unseating U.S. Rep. Scott Perry in 2024, Janelle Stelson is hoping that another run for PA-10 – and a favorable midterm election cycle – will yield different results this year.
- Stelson is a familiar face in Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional District. She was a longtime news anchor for the central Pennsylvania TV station WGAL before setting her sights on Congress two years ago. Now… Stelson is aiming to bring fresh energy to a seat she believes hasn’t been representative of the people in its district.
- “I’m looking forward to being the kind of representative who communicates with people and has strong constituent services – people… know that they have somebody who’s going to fight for them every step of the way,” she told City & State in an interview.
- “Fourteen years in Congress – he’s a seven-term congressman, and Scott Perry continues to vote to hurt us, not help us,” she says.
- She frequently points to Perry’s position on extending Affordable Care Act subsidies, noting that he called it a “colossal mistake” in a September 2025 Newsweek op-ed.
- Upon entering the race, Stelson quickly earned an endorsement from Gov. Josh Shapiro. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee also added Stelson to its “Red To Blue” program, which provides fundraising and organizational support to Democratic candidates.
- She’s also raised millions of dollars for her bid. According to Federal Election Commission data, Stelson raised more than $2.1 million in the first quarter of 2026 and ended the month of April with $3.3 million in cash on hand.
- Stelson says healthcare access and affordability are key priorities for her if elected to Congress.
- At a campaign stop outside of a Harrisburg gas station in early April, she criticized Republicans over the ongoing Iran war and its impact on gas prices, and said President Donald Trump’s tariffs are driving up the cost of everyday goods.
- “We talked in 2024 a lot about affordability,” Stelson told City & State. “Now it’s become an affordability crisis. Everybody’s concerned about groceries, utilities, the roofs over their heads – and now gas prices because of the war in Iran.”
- Stelson sees her three-decade career as a journalist as a benefit in Washington, saying she would approach the role with a listen-first attitude that would allow her to accurately and effectively elevate her constituents’ concerns.
- “I’ve been listening for more than 30 years as a broadcast journalist… I always make sure [every story] gets told properly,” she said. “Now I can take those voices to the halls of Congress – that’s my hope for the future.”
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