(The Hill/NewsNation) — The nonpartisan Cook Political Report shifted Rep. Scott Perry’s race toward Democrats on Friday, calling the contest a toss-up.
Perry, a Republican in Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional District, is in a competitive race with Democrat Janelle Stelson in a battle Cook previously had rated as “lean Republican.”
“While the political environment should still favor Perry, his unique vulnerabilities, coupled with Democrats’ spending advantage, moves this race from Lean Republican to Toss Up,” Cook’s Erin Covey wrote.
During a Tuesday interview on “NewsNation Now,” Perry attributed the tight race to external funding from George Soros and the West Coast and accused his opponent of not living in the district.
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“My opponent doesn’t even live in the district. Barely campaigns in it, but you can buy a whole lot of TV and internet time with millions and millions of dollars pouring in from around the country,” he said.
Perry has been a subject of interest in the Justice Department’s probe looking into former President Donald Trump and his allies’ efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
Stelson has hit Perry on that issue and has also made abortion rights a central message of her campaign in a district that has become more and more purple.
Perry accused Stelson of distorting his position on abortion and outright lying about his record. He clarified to NewsNation that he opposed “taxpayer-funded abortions but supported exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother.”
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Stelson raised $1.3 million during the second quarter, ending the period with more than $1.1 million cash. Perry raised $625,000 during the same period and ended the quarter with $790,000 in the bank.
The Democrat is well-known in the district. She was a registered Republican until early last year and worked as a news anchor at WGAL. The anchor turned politician has said she decided to challenge Perry after she read the news of Roe v. Wade being overturned by the Supreme Court in 2022.
Trump, who won Perry’s district by 4 percentage points in 2020, is on track to win it again, Covey wrote, but Perry appears to be trailing behind the former president.
The Hill/Decision Desk HQ’s average of polls shows Perry leading Stelson 51% to 49%.
