STEELTON, Pa. — The crowded field of Democratic candidates vying to for the chance to unseat U.S. Rep. Scott Perry next year has another member.
Dauphin County business and community leader Blake Lynch on Tuesday announced that he is running for Pennsylvania's 10th Congressional District, stating his goal is to "restore trust in government among residents of the Harrisburg region."
Since 2021, Lynch has served as Senior Vice President and Chief Impact Officer at WITF. He resigned his position there prior to announcing his intention to run.
Lynch has also served as Director of Community Relations and Engagement for the Harrisburg Bureau of Police.
“As a lifelong Central Pennsylvania resident, I know firsthand the challenges facing my neighbors from Harrisburg to Carlisle to York,” Lynch said in a press release announcing his candidacy. “I know that regardless of what neighborhood you live in, people want safe streets, good schools and good-paying jobs. And they expect their government to work for them and their democracy – and not against it.
“That is why I am proud to announce that I am running for Congress to represent the very community that helped raise me. Central Pennsylvania residents deserve a representative in Washington who will roll up their sleeves and go to work for them – building bridges instead of creating division. And that’s just what I will do starting on day one as your congressman.”
Lynch joins a field of Democrats that includes former WGAL reporter Jenelle Stelson, Harrisburg City Council member and 2022 Democratic nominee Shamaine Daniels, retired Marine Mike O'Brien, and U.S. Army veterans Rick Coplen and Bob Forbes.
In his announcement, Lynch noted he already has received the support of several local Democrats, including Steelton mayor Ciera Dent.
Lynch spent his early childhood in the Dauphin County borough.
“Blake Lynch is exactly the kind of leader we need representing us in Washington,” Dent said in Lynch's campaign announcement. “He understands the needs of Central Pennsylvanians because it is what he has lived his whole life. He is a product of this area and I could not be more proud to stand with him as he runs to replace Scott Perry.”
Lynch said he was "born and raised by a hardworking, single mom in Steelton public housing," and that he is "forever indebted to the Boys & Girls Club of Harrisburg," which helped shape him into the person he is today.
Lynch said he is running for Congress "because he believes Central Pennsylvania residents deserve a leader who not only understands their needs and struggles but will fight for them in Congress every day and ensure their voices are heard."
Perry, 61, has been in office since 2013 when he was elected to represent Pennsylvania's 4th District, which was renumbered as the 10th District in 2019. A former member of the Pennsylvania House, Perry is a vocal supporter of former president Donald Trump and chair of the U.S. House's Freedom Caucus.
Pennsylvania's 10th District represents all of Dauphin County and portions of Cumberland and York counties.
