The two candidates for Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional District seat will meet for a debate on Oct. 8 at 7 p.m. in Harrisburg.

The 10th District includes Dauphin County and parts of Cumberland and York counties. According to the Cook Political Report, the district, which is home to over 530,000 voters, leans Republican.

Moderated by ABC27 news anchor Dennis Owens, the debate will feature the Republican candidate, six-term incumbent Rep. Scott Perry, and his Democratic opponent, former ABC27 News and WGAL anchor Janelle Stelson.

Scott Perry has been facing stiff competition from Stelson for his conduct regarding the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. In August 2022, Perry’s phone was seized by the FBI, and he was issued a subpoena by the U.S. House Jan. 6 select committee due to investigations of a potential plan to install a Trump loyalist in the Department of Justice.

Perry has shot back on the FBI seizure of his phone, stating that the action was “banana republic tactics.”

Stelson, a former Republican who is running as a moderate Democrat, is running a campaign on providing 10th District voters with a new perspective. Perry has been representative for 12 years. Stelson is opposed to Perry’s pro-Trump rhetoric. “Perry is not for freedom. He’s all about his power,” Stelson said.

Her hard stance against Perry, in addition to her support for the middle class, has gained her popularity in a district that has become tightly contested.

The Pennsylvania 10th Congressional District race and the 2024 presidential race are not the only elections that shape the battleground Keystone State. Democratic Sen. Bob Casey and Republican Senate nominee Dave McCormick have agreed to attend a debate on Oct. 3 at 8 p.m. in Harrisburg.

Much like Pennsylvania’s other races on Nov. 5, the race for senate is relatively close. According to polling data from The New York Times, Casey holds 49% support from the likely PA electorate compared to rival McCormick’s 40%.

Due to Casey’s popularity advantage, Republican nominee McCormick and his campaign have been preparing to drop over $100 million for political advertisements. To bridge the gap, McCormick has been campaigning on the issues of border security and inflation.

“Sen. Casey is just out of touch with Pennsylvania” he argues. “He’s been a weak senator,” McCormick said.

Both candidates have strongly attached themselves to the 2024 presidential candidates in an effort to lock in Pennsylvania for their party on election day.

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