HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) – Congressman Scott Perry (R) and former television news anchor Janelle Stelson (D) debated for the first time with less than a month until the November 5 election.

The Oct. 8 debate is expected to be the only debate between the two candidates to represent Pennsylvania’s 10th District in Congress. The full debate will be available to rewatch on Tuesday night.

The one-hour 10th Congressional District Debate covered issues including the economy, immigration, and abortion.

Both candidates called for securing the border, while on the issue of abortion, Stelson called for codifying Roe v. Wade and for government to get out of the abortion business. Perry said he is pro-life and believes in exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother.

Stelson was also asked to clarify where she lives and acknowledged she lives in Lancaster, which is outside of the 10th District. The 10th District includes all of Dauphin County and sections of Cumberland and York counties.

Matt Beynon, Patriots for Perry spokesman, said: “Tonight Congressman Perry showed why he is the clear choice for voters in the 10^th congressional district.  Congressman Perry was clear-eyed, knowledgeable, and passionate about the issues facing the region, and offered a clear vision for moving the district forward.  While Janelle Stelson likes to say she told the stories of the voters, it’s clear that those were never her stories because she was out of touch and without solutions.  The voters of the 10^th congressional district know they can count on Scott Perry to be their champion in Congress.”

“Tonight’s debate solidified that Scott Perry does not represent Central Pennsylvanians. Congress is deeply broken and we need someone who will fix it, not someone who is solely focused on banning abortion nationwide, gutting seniors’ hard earned benefits, and creating chaos.” said Campaign Manager Alma Baker. “Janelle is not a career politician and she proved that on the debate stage. She is ready to hit the ground running and will deliver bipartisan, common sense solutions to secure the border, lower costs, and defend our reproductive freedoms

Stelson is no stranger to viewers as she appeared on televisions across Central Pennsylvania for nearly 40 years, including on abc27. She graduated from the University of Puget Sound with a Politics and Government degree and worked at the Embassy of Egypt in Washington D.C., writing speeches.

Stelson, a former registered Republican, won a crowded Democratic primary by more than 12,000 votes.

Perry has served in Congress since 2013 after first being elected in the former 4th Congressional District that, prior to redistricting, comprised of York, Adams, and part of Cumberland counties.

Perry is a graduate of Northern High School, the Cumberland-Perry Vo-Tech School, and Penn State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration Management. In 1980, Perry enlisted in the U.S. Army and was deployed to Iraq, where, according to his campaign website, he flew combat missions.

He served as the Commander of the Fort Indiantown Gap National Training Site, was promoted to Brigadier General, and retired from military service as the Assistant Adjutant General with the Pennsylvania Army National Guard.

Before being elected to Congress, Perry served in local government, including being the chairman of the Carroll Township Planning Commission. In the 1990s, he began a mechanical contracting firm with his mother in Dillsburg.

In August 2022, Perry disclosed that his cellphone was briefly seized by the FBI on a search warrant as part of the investigation into January 6, saying the action was “banana republic tactics.” 

Perry was cited more than 50 times in a Senate Judiciary report released in October 2021 that outlined Donald Trump’s effort to overturn the election results. 

There are no third-party candidates on the ballot in the 10th District.