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Democrats running for Congress debate two weeks before primary day

Six candidates remain in the Democratic Primary to see who will challenge Scott Perry in November.

YORK, Pa. — The stage is far from set in the race for Pennsylvania's 10th Congressional District seat this November. 

While the window is closing before the April 23 primary, a wide field of Democratic candidates made their final cases in York Tuesday night.

Candidates discussed their stances on inflation, gun violence and issues impacting the people of Cumberland, Dauphin, and York Counties in the district.

"I am in favor of a complete ban on assault weapons," businessman John Broadhurst said.

"There’s so many different projects we need help with," Carlisle School Board member and veteran Rick Coplen said, regarding spending federal money on infrastructure.

"There’s no reason why my son should have been sent home during heat waves because there’s no air conditioning in the Central Dauphin School District," Former WITF executive Blake Lynch expressed.

Candidates took shots at incumbent Scott Perry, who has had a hold on the district since the state was remapped in 2018.

"The Congressman we elected to do something about these things is failing miserably," longtime WGAL anchor Janelle Stelson said.

"What we need is a representative that shows up and does their job and values their constituents equally," Harrisburg city councilwoman Shamaine Daniels, who lost to Perry in the 2018 midterms, stated.

Candidates also took the chance to discredit each other on the public stage.

"Voting records are public," retired Marine Mike O’Brien said, pointing out Stelson's voting history. "The record shows she’s been voting in the Republican primary for over 20 years."

“You just gave Scott Perry his dream," Stelson responded. "This is Dem-on-Dem violence."

A poll released last month by a consulting firm out of D.C. shows Stelson in the lead, though 31% of voters remain undecided.

Regardless of who wins this primary, they’re staring down a challenge this fall.

In the 2018 midterm election, Congressman Perry defeated Democrat George Scott by a 3% margin.

During the 2020 election that saw Republicans gain more ground in the U.S. House of Representatives, Perry defeated Democrat Eugene DePasquale by nearly 15% points, his largest victory while representing the 10th district.

In 2022, Perry again kept his seat. He took down Democrat challenger Shamaine Daniels by 7.5%.

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