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Democrat Janelle Stelson, the longtime former anchor for Lancaster’s NBC affiliate, defeated Dauphin County Commissioner Justin Douglas in a battle to take on one of the more endangered Republicans in the House, Freedom Caucus stalwart Scott Perry.
Perry, of Dillsburg, was an ally of Elon Musk’s DOGE endeavor and has staked out reliably conservative positions on most issues, chairing the Freedom Caucus in 2022, but barely held onto his seat in 2024 against Stelson by a few thousand votes.
Stelson was criticized for reportedly retaining her residency in Lancaster — which is in Rep. Lloyd Smucker’s district — while running in Perry’s district, which covers much of her former news station’s coverage area.
As of 2025, Stelson moved to a rental property in East Pennsboro Township, across the Susquehanna River from Harrisburg, according to the York Daily Record, which reported on the controversy.
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Douglas also reportedly criticized Stelson for the lack of primary debates.
Stelson also was a longtime registered Republican before changing her affiliation sometime during the Trump era, according to local reports.
While she has the support of Gov. Josh Shapiro, she admitted in an ABC-Harrisburg interview that she differs from some in her party on certain issues.
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“One of the things I was very against President Joe Biden, the border was quickly becoming more of a mess than usual,” Stelson told the outlet, while adding that President Donald Trump’s response to the crisis has been a bridge too far.
She also told the outlet she would support repealing Trump’s tariffs and that she is pro-choice.
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Perry, meanwhile, has held fast to his seat, at times easily and at times not so much, amid an increased moderate-to-progressive influx of new voters in Harrisburg’s southern suburbs like Camp Hill and Lower Allen.
Come November, voters across the nation will be looking to Cumberland County and the Susquehanna Valley as one of the most conservative members of Congress battles for his political life in Pennsylvania’s increasingly shifting political landscape.
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