(The Center Square) – In the first campaign finance report of 2026, Democratic challenger Janelle Stelson outraised all congressional candidates running in Pennsylvania, and nearly doubled the haul of the incumbent she’s attempting to unseat.
Stelson, a former central Pennsylvania television anchor, raised $2.17 million from the beginning of January until the end of March, while U.S. Rep. Scott Perry, R-10th District, raised $1.13 million during that same time period.
It’s the third consecutive quarter that Stelson has not only outraised Perry, but all of the candidates running for Congress in the Keystone State in 2026.
Since formally launching her candidacy in July, Stelson has raised $4.37 million, while Perry has raised $2.56 million during that same time period.
Stelson has also raised more than any other Democrat running for the U.S. House in Pennsylvania in the election cycle to date, and only trails U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-1st District, who has raised $5.49 million since winning his 2024 race. However, Fitzpatrick’s total includes the $2.53 million he raised in the first half of 2025, before Stelson joined the race for the 10th District.
Perry’s campaign has raised $4.07 million total in the 2026 election cycle, which is the fourth highest among the candidates running in Pennsylvania. The three candidates who have raised more than Perry so far this cycle are Fitzpatrick, Stelson, and U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan, R-8th District.
Stelson also now holds a cash-on-hand advantage over Perry.
She entered April with $3.17 million on hand, while Perry’s campaign began the month with $2.29 million.
One similarity between the candidates over the past three months is the amount each spent.
From the beginning of January to the end of March, Stelson’s campaign spent $520,000, while Perry’s spent just over $500,000.
Perry, a former chair of the conservative U.S. House Freedom Caucus, is serving his seventh term in Congress. He defeated Stelson in 2024 by 1.2 points, which was his closest race since winning a seat in the U.S. House.
Both candidates have a lot more cash on hand than at this point in the previous election cycle.
Perry’s campaign had just under $515,000 on hand in April 2024. Stelson, who was gearing up for a six-candidate race for the Democratic Party nomination, had just over $190,000 on hand a few weeks prior to the 2024 primary election.
While Perry and Stelson lead the fundraising race for the 10th District and are likely to face off in the fall for a rematch, the race is not locked in yet.
Stelson will face Dauphin County Commissioner Justin Douglas for the Democratic Party nomination next month, while Perry is the only Republican to file for the seat.
Stelson also holds a significant fundraising advantage over Douglas.
Douglas raised just over $35,000 in the first three months of the year and entered April with $11,000 on hand.
The race for the 10th Congressional District is shaping up to be one of the most closely watched races in Pennsylvania.
Gov. Josh Shapiro has weighed in on the race and announced his support for Stelson, while President Donald Trump is backing Perry’s bid for an 8th term.
The Cook Political Report and Sabato’s Crystal Ball, a pair of national ratings outlets, describe the race in the 10th District as a “toss up.”
“Stelson is now waging a rematch against Perry, and both parties view the congressman as one of the most vulnerable House Republicans in the country,” according to a race summary by the Cook Political Report.
