Stelson campaign gains fundraising advantage over Rep. Perry

• By Nathan Wilson/ For LancasterOnline

Janelle Stelson, the Lancaster County resident who is challenging Republican Congressman Scott Perry in the 10th congressional district this year, ended June with more than $1.1 million in her campaign bank account.

Stelson, a former news anchor at WGAL, lives in Manheim Township as she campaigns for a seat representing all of Dauphin and parts of Cumberland and York counties. Stelson has promised to move to the district if she wins election in November.

The Democrat raised over $1.3 million between April 1 and June 30. Lancaster County residents contributed $37,000 to the Stelson campaign in the first 6 months of the year, amounting to 3% of Stelson’s fundraising total for the year.

Craig Robertson, a hydrogeologist at Groundwater Sciences Corporation, was Stelson’s top Lancaster donor, contributing $3,300, the maximum amount for an individual to give to a candidate in an election cycle. Other notable donors include Glenn Usdin, former chief of the Lancaster Township Fire Company, Lancaster author Duncan Alderson, and Judith Cassel, a partner at the Harrisburg based law firm Hawke, McKeon & Sniscak.

Reflecting her regional name recognition, 18% of Stelson’s donations came from supporters living in York, Dauphin or Cumberland counties.

Republican incumbent Rep. Scott Perry ended June with $790,000 available after raising $625,000 from April to June. Perry’s campaign has received just under $10,000 from Lancaster County residents.

David Hollinger, founder of Four Seasons Produce in Ephrata is Perry’s top Lancaster donor in 2024, contributing $3,300 in February.  Perry also got $1,500 from Carla Fishel of Elizabethtown and $1,000 from Robert Criste, the president of Stephenson Equipment.

Contributions from Lancaster account for 1% of Perry’s contributors; 17% of his contributions came from the counties in the 10th congressional district.

Key for both parties

Perry, a staunch Trump ally, has defeated Democratic challengers in 2020 and 2022 but Democrats now view his seat as vulnerable.

Polls have shown that the race for the 10th district is one of the more competitive elections in central Pennsylvania.  A Franklin and Marshall poll released in June showed Perry leading Stelson among registered voters 45% to 44% with 11% remaining undecided.

The stakes for both parties are high this year given Republicans are defending a narrow majority in the U.S. House.  As of July 26, Republicans had 220 seats to Democrats’ 212; there are three vacancies in districts that split 2-1 in favor of Democrats, putting the potential party breakdown at 221-214, or just 7 seats.

Stelson’s campaign has repeatedly emphasized her prior career in local media and familiarity with voters.

“While Janelle Stelson has spent the last decade covering the issues that matter most to voters in Central Pennsylvania, Scott Perry has been in Washington infringing on their personal freedoms,” said Alma Baker, Stelson’s campaign manager.

Democrats believe that this familiarity has given the campaign an advantage prior Democratic candidates have lacked.

“She is not building a name for herself as her 30-plus year career in broadcasting has already cemented that for her,” said York County Democratic Chair Chad Baker. “She can immediately talk about the issues important to voters in the district and is able to point out the lack of leadership and support for constituents currently provided by the incumbent.”  The two Bakers are not related.

The Perry campaign has downplayed the importance of fundraising in the race and emphasized Perry’s track record of defeating Democratic challengers.

“Election cycle after election cycle, the radical Left targets Congressman Perry with millions of dollars from New York and San Francisco donors,” said Perry campaign spokesman Matt Beynon. “And election cycle after election cycle, Congressman Perry wins by bigger and bigger margins because the voters of south-central Pennsylvania know he’s fighting for them and their values.”