Democratic candidate for 10th congressional district Janelle Stelson pulled out a ponderous rifle as she led the action at the start of the Harrisburg-Pennsylvania game on Saturday Governor Josh Shapiro.
Stelson opposes six-time term expiration Rep. Scott Perry in the district of Cumberland, Dauphin and York counties in central Pennsylvania. It became one of the most closely watched races not only in the state but in the country, as the former radio broadcaster tried to unseat the former chairman of the Republican Freedom Caucus.
“Our governor is kind of a road map and a North Star because it’s a plus-4 Republican district,” Stelson said. “We need to get Democrats out there voting, but we need to make sure our Republican brothers and sisters know exactly what they’re getting.
“Josh Shapiro won this district, this red district, by +4, 12 points. He was running against Doug Mastriano (R-Franklin), a state legislator extreme and Scott Perry lightweight. This shows us we can win.”
Stelson was the first to talk about why she entered the race after 38 years in television.
“I was on set live when the Supreme Court issued its ruling in the Dobbs case that overturned it. Roe v. Wade” she said. “I had to look into the camera in the best impartial way I could and tell every woman watching that her rights had been eroded for years and that depending on your age, your mother had more rights than your daughters, your nieces will have. It ripped a piece of my heart out that day.
“When we got the reaction from our local congressman (Perry) that night, he was basically dancing a jig because for the last seven years he had sponsored a nationwide abortion ban with no exceptions, not for rape, not for incest, not for the life of the woman. He called it a monumental victory. And like I said, I lost a little bit of my heart that day, but it kind of laid the groundwork for what I’m trying to do.”
Stelson played a key role in Perry’s involvement in the events at the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
“Scott Perry was one of the architects of January 6, so deeply involved in the deadly insurrection,” Stelson said. “They weren’t tourists. He was so deeply involved that the FBI confiscated his cellphone and started investigating him, the same FBI that now oversees the Intel Committee, which up until now has been nonpartisan and has been really proud of that affiliation. Again, someone is playing politics. There are some political favors involved. So now he oversees the FBI that is investigating him… the fox guarding the henhouse. The fox has already eaten all the hens guarding the henhouse.”
Shapiro noted that 1.2 million Pennsylvanians have access to health care through the Affordable Care Act — also known as Obamacare — and spoke about the differences between the candidates from central Pennsylvania.
“Think about the stark contrast in this race,” he said. “Janelle Stelson not only wants to protect Obamacare, but she wants to lower the cost of prescription drugs for our seniors. She wants to make sure that every community you’re in has access to great health care. Scott Perry brags that he voted to end Obamacare over and over again, too many times to count. You elect Janelle Stelson, you protect health care when someone else is trying to take it away.”
The governor also criticized Perry for voting against the infrastructure bill, particularly over how it would affect the I-83 South bridge that connects the Capital Region.
“I stood with your mayor and Secretary Pete (Buttigieg) and others to announce that we finally received money from President Biden AND Vice President Harris fix that bridge, the number one infrastructure problem in this district. Scott Perry voted no and bragged about it. Whoever asks the district for a vote goes to Washington and then, literally, when you have a bill in front of you that will benefit your district, they vote no. Who does that?
“Donald Trump and Scott Perry have failed this basic test that we ask of our children. They have failed this basic test of decency, this basic test of respect, and they are working all the time to take away our basic freedoms. This congressional district is crucial, not only in this community, but it is on the table across the country, and you have the power to make a difference. Listen to me, Republicans and independents – Janelle is someone you can trust. She is the best person to preserve and protect our freedoms and our democracy.”
“The good people of Pennsylvania see all this extremism and they want people who are common sense leaders who will fight for us every day. Janelle is one of those common sense leaders and I fully expect that this district, after analyzing the stark contrast in this race, the kind of chaos that Scott Perry and Donald Trump want to bring back to Pennsylvania, will take a good hard look at this and say, You know what? We want to elect someone who will support us, and they will elect Janelle Stelson.”
