(The Center Square) – For the first time during the 2026 campaign, U.S. Rep. Scott Perry, R-10th District, has outraised a well-funded Democratic challenger attempting to unseat him.
From April 1 through April 29, Perry raised just under $400,000, according to campaign finance reports released last week. Janelle Stelson, a former central Pennsylvania television anchor running for the Democratic Party nomination, raised just over $320,000 during that same time period.
The pre-primary report marks the first time that Perry has raised more than Stelson since she formally launched her campaign in July.
Despite the recent fundraising boost for Perry’s campaign, Stelson has still raised more than the incumbent Republican since she entered the race and holds a cash-on-hand advantage.
Since announcing her bid for the seat, Stelson’s campaign has raised $4.69 million. During that same time period, Perry’s campaign has raised $2.96 million. Throughout the entire 2026 election cycle, Perry’s campaign has raised $4.47 million.
Stelson has raised more than any Pennsylvania congressional candidate since July and only trails U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-1st District, who has raised $5.74 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 has raised the fourth highest amount among candidates in Pennsylvania in the 2026 election cycle, trailing Fitzpatrick, Stelson, and U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan, R-8th District.
As of April 30, Stelson’s campaign had $3.34 million on hand, while Perry’s campaign had $2.34 million. Perry is the only Republican slated to be on the primary ballot for the seat in next week’s primary election, while Stelson is going up against Dauphin County Commissioner Justin Douglas for the Democratic Party nomination.
Stelson, viewed as the frontrunner for her party’s nomination, significantly outraised Douglas in the latest finance report and the overall 2026 campaign.
Douglas raised just over $15,000 from April 1-29 and has raised just under $140,000 since announcing his bid for the seat in September. His campaign had $10,000 on hand as of April 30.
The latest filing was the final campaign finance report released prior to next week’s primary election.
If Stelson earns the Democratic Party nomination, it will set up a rematch for the seat in southcentral Pennsylvania. In 2024, Perry bested Stelson by 1.2 points, which was his closest race since winning a seat in the U.S. House.
Perry, former chair of the conservative U.S. House Freedom Caucus, is serving his seventh term in Congress.
While Stelson currently holds a larger warchest over Perry, both candidates have more cash on hand at a similar point in the previous election cycle. In April 2024, Perry’s campaign had just under $515,000 on hand, while 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.
Since the start of 2026, Perry’s campaign has spent more than Stelson’s. From Jan. 1 through April 29, Perry has spent just over $855,000, compared to Stelson’s $665,000.
The next fundraising quarter will close on June 30, with July 15 serving as the filing deadline for candidates.
The race for the 10th Congressional District is expected to see increased attention in the fall as control for the U.S. House is on the line.
Like previous cycles, Democrats are attempting to flip multiple seats in Pennsylvania, including Perry’s, and national pundits believe it should be a close race.
A pair of national ratings outlets, the Cook Political Report and Sabato’s Crystal Ball, describe the race in the 10th District as a “toss up.”
