Republican Rep. Scott Perry defeated Democratic challenger Janet Stelson in Pennsylvania's 10th Congressional District race, ensuring that one of Donald Trump's most prominent allies remains in the seat.
The Associated Press called the race Thursday afternoon. With more than 95% of votes counted, Mr. Perry received 50.8% of the vote to Mr. Stelson's 49.2%.
Perry, a conservative and former chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, was one of Democrats' top targets this term.
His victory completes Republican control of the Keystone State in a year when all eyes were on Pennsylvania late in the election cycle. Trump won the state's electoral votes, and Dave McCormick defeated three-term Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pennsylvania).
Republican Rob Breshanan also defeated incumbent Democrat Matt Cartwright in a Scranton-area district that includes President Joe Biden's hometown, but it was a symbolic blow in an election cycle that Democrats would rather forget. It became.
Despite there being no viable path to a fourth term, Casey refuses to concede. McCormick won on Thursday afternoon.
Stelson, a political newcomer who does not live in the 10th District, is a former TV anchor, but during the campaign he mostly stuck to common Democratic talking points and frequently spoke out about abortion. she I lamented after that egg Although the suit was overturned, she “had to go on TV and tell women for the first time in 50 years that our reproductive rights are no longer protected under federal law.”
She had the support of popular Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro, who visited the district to campaign for her.
Perry and Stelson debated in October, with immigration and border security issues emerging as one of the candidates' key differences.
Mr. Stelson insisted that the Senate's pro-immigration bill had been defeated, but Mr. Perry, a border security hawk, correctly pointed out that the bill would result in “5,000 people a day entering the country illegally.”
Breitbart reports:
In January, leaks of the bill's contents killed it within hours, with senators from both parties ultimately voting against it. Those leaks, which later turned out to be accurate, pointed out that the compromise would increase legal immigration levels while facilitating the granting of work permits for immigrants released into the United States.
Most notoriously, the bill allowed tens of thousands of immigrants to cross the border each week before the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) could conduct any kind of border control.
Perry argued that the increased immigration allowed by the failed bill would lead to more Americans becoming victims of immigration crimes.
“I wonder if my opponent knows the names of Jocelyn Nungarei, Laken Riley, or Rachel Mullin, because they entered this country under the same provisions that are set out in the bill. “They were horribly raped and murdered by people who committed crimes against them,” he said.
“We can't afford to have these people here,” Perry added. “We cannot afford to buy food for ourselves, let alone housing, health care and education for them.”
Biden and Harris' performance on the border and economy has caused Harris, Stelson and other Democrats to drop in the national polls. Mr. Trump will be ready to solve both crises.
Perry's victory gives Trump a powerful ally on Capitol Hill.
Bradley Jay is Breitbart News' Capitol Hill correspondent. Follow him on X/Twitter. @BradleyAJay.
