U.S. Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA) torched his Democratic Party opponent, former local news anchor Janelle Stelson, after she attempted to blame the Republican Party for high gas prices.
Stelson linked higher gasoline and diesel prices in Pennsylvania to the ongoing U.S. conflict with Iran, noting that Perry had voted multiple times to continue the war. She stated that ending the war would be among her first priorities in Congress if elected, citing effects on family farmers who face elevated diesel costs for harvest operations that cannot be delayed.
When asked specifically about steps to lower prices, Perry responded with a focus on domestic policy rather than the war. “One of the reasons that gas prices are high, and have been high, regardless of what happens in Iran, is because of policy,” the congressman stated.
“We actually turn food into fuel in the United States. You spend about 30 cents more per gallon to do that, and your car is less deficient because of that. It’s called the Renewable Fuel Standard, and I’ve been fighting to end that, because we don’t need to pay that extra 30 cents or have less efficiency,” he continued.
“The United States not only must pump enough oil and gas to support itself, but we need to be able to refine it. Her party has slowed or stopped refining for about 50 years.”
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Elsewhere in the debate, Perry referenced a recent local incident involving a Nigerian national who was arrested after police found him exposing himself while seated in a vehicle near a park. Campaign materials for Stelson were in the car, and the man told officers he was waiting to distribute flyers for her campaign.
He later pleaded guilty to a disorderly conduct charge and was taken into custody by immigration authorities.
According to a statement from the Department of Homeland Security, the man had been working as a canvasser for the campaign. Stelson claimed during the debate that the individual was neither an employee of her campaign nor a volunteer, adding that she vets her staff “very thoroughly.”
Perry also referenced his support for tax reductions during the debate’s closing statements. “I have delivered results … I’ve done exactly what you’ve asked me to do. I’ve delivered reducing taxes on tips, taxes on overtime, a tax cut for our seniors. I voted for the largest tax cut in American history,” the congressman said.
He added that he forced a vote on banning congressional stock trading, much to the chagrin of many of his colleagues.
The race between Perry and Stelson is widely viewed as one of the closest U.S. House contests in the country. Perry defeated Stelson in 2024 by roughly 5,100 votes, or about 1.2 to 1.3 percentage points.
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