Rep. Scott Perry is in a dead-heat battle to hold on to his House seat against Democrat Eugene DePasquale, the Pennsylvania state auditor general.
Perry, a stalwart conservative, was elected in 2012 and is a member of the House Freedom Caucus.
Before he ran for Congress, Perry had a political career in state politics, as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives between 2006 and 2012. He is also an Iraq War veteran.
Perry won his last reelection bid by 3 percentage points. It was the narrowest win he’s had since first being elected to Congress. In 2012, he won by 25 points, while winning by 49 points in 2014 and 32 points in 2016.
York County, which partly lies in the 10th District, has been represented by a Republican since 1966. Perry owns the most conservative voting record among Pennsylvania’s 18-member U.S. House delegation.
The Philadelphia Inquirer characterizes Pennsylvania’s 10th District as a “microcosm of the country,” with it comprised of medium and small cities in addition to rural areas, and the race mirroring similarities to the presidential race. The nonpartisan election forecaster Cook Political Report considers the race a Republican toss-up with Democrats hoping to flip Perry’s seat.
DePasquale is campaigning largely on traditional kitchen table issues such as healthcare and the sluggish economy. He’s vowed that if elected, his first order of business would be to introduce a bill to create funding to stop the backlog of rape kits across the country, according to the York Daily Record. DePasquale reportedly has advocated for the proposal since 2016 after it was found Pennsylvania had a backlog of 3,200 untested rape kits that dated back 20 years.
As state auditor, DePasquale concluded that a coronavirus business waiver program under Gov. Tom Wolf, a fellow Democrat, was inconsistent and confusing for business owners in the state.
DePasquale supports the expansion of the Affordable Care Act and believes healthcare is a fundamental human right. He supports a $15 minimum wage and stronger job training in skilled trades, as well as increased investment in alternative energy and solar power.
