Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional District candidates faced off in a debate held on Tuesday, Oct. 8, at 7 p.m. in Harrisburg. The debate was moderated by ABC27 news anchor Dennis Owens.

Owens outlined the debate rules prior to starting the 60-minute debate. Both candidates were given 60 seconds to answer each question. If either candidate mentioned the other in a significant way, their opponent was given a 30-second follow-up.

Representing the Republican party is six-term incumbent Congressman Scott Perry. His Democratic opponent is Janelle Stelson, a former ABC27 News and WGAL anchor.

The two candidates faced off on issues that Pennsylvanians face both in the 10th District and across the state. The issues addressed included cost of living, border security, abortion access and public benefits like Medicare and Social Security.

Pennsylvania’s economy was the first topic of Tuesday night’s debate. According to Owens, the economy is the top issue for Pennsylvania voters, especially the rising cost of living and energy prices.

One of the discussed methods toward providing more energy for Pennsylvania involved the reopening of the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Dauphin County. Both candidates also discussed Microsoft’s purchase of the plant’s energy output.

“Our country, our economy runs on energy,” Congressman Perry said while addressing Microsoft’s required $1.6 billion federal loan to purchase the power station. “I’m glad that Three Mile Island will be reopening, but I don’t think Microsoft needs money from the federal government.”

Much like in the rest of the country, reproductive rights is one of the most discussed subjects in Pennsylvania’s political races. Moderator Owens asked both Stelson and Perry if access to abortion should be left to state decisions.

For Democratic candidate Janelle Stelson, she said, “I think you codify Roe. It’s one of the first things I’d like to do, and then I think government should get out of the abortion business.”

Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional District is not the only seat up for election this year. Democratic Sen. Bob Casey and Republican Senate nominee Dave McCormick faced-off in their second debate on Tuesday, Oct. 15 at the WPVI-TV studio in Philadelphia.

The Senate debate was 60 minutes and followed the same rules as the Congressional District debate. Casey and McCormick debated on several critical issues, including the economy and inflation, abortion, the Jan. 6 attack and gun control.

According to moderator Sharrie Williams, a Muhlenberg survey found that 59% of Pennsylvania voters agree that there should be more restrictions on gun access. Williams first asked McCormick if he agreed with PA voters that restrictions are needed to curb gun violence.

“We need to have appropriate risk protections where people with mental health do not have access to guns,” nominee McCormick responded. “I am in favor of the policy President Trump put in place of eliminating bump stocks.”

Williams then asked Casey on his pivot toward favoring gun restrictions and what he has done to further change on this issue.

“I am supportive and voted for the bipartisan gun legislation, which has brought down gun deaths,” Casey said. “My opponent won’t support it because the gun lobby won’t let him, and he doesn’t have the political courage to stand up to the gun lobby to support those commonsense measures.”

As voting is already underway across the country, Election Day on Nov. 5 draws closer. The outcomes of both Pennsylvania debates will be felt as the United States moves toward a new presidential administration.

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