Republican · Pennsylvania's 10th District · 2026

Scott Perry

Perry started picking fruit at 13.

Scott Perry's first job was picking fruit at 13.¹ Raised by a single mother, he spent part of his childhood in a house without electricity or plumbing, cutting firewood with his brother to keep it warm.¹ He later worked his way through Penn State and started a mechanical contracting business with his mother in their garage.²

His military career began with enlistment in 1980 and eventually took him into Army aviation and the Pennsylvania National Guard.² During a 2009 to 2010 Iraq deployment, he commanded an aviation battalion and flew 44 combat missions.² He retired as a brigadier general in 2019 after nearly 40 years in uniform.² He and his wife, Christy, have two daughters.¹

Perry served three terms in Pennsylvania's legislature before entering Congress in 2013.² An early member and former chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, he has held committee assignments covering transportation, oversight, foreign affairs and intelligence.²³ He also joined other Republicans in objecting to the 2020 presidential election results.⁴⁵

Perry campaigns for lower taxes, less regulation, stronger border enforcement and expanded natural gas, nuclear and hydropower production.⁶ His healthcare proposals include larger health savings accounts and purchasing insurance across state lines.⁶ His record includes votes for the major Republican tax laws of 2017 and 2025.³ Former television anchor Janelle Stelson is seeking to unseat him after their close 2024 contest.⁷

Record and controversies

Earlier environmental records case

Perry faced felony charges over sewage records in 2002, completed diversion and avoided conviction; he maintained his innocence.⁸

Phone seizure and election investigation

The FBI seized and copied Perry's phone in August 2022 during the investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election; a redacted warrant application became public in March 2025 after litigation by newspapers.⁹ The application described his communications about alternate electors and his efforts to promote Jeffrey Clark as acting attorney general.⁹ October 2026 reporting said Perry had not been charged in the election investigation; at that month's debate, he called himself collateral damage of a politicized investigation and denied the opposing campaign's allegations about his role in January 6.¹⁰ A search warrant and a dispute over access to records are not convictions.

Advertisement using an unsubstantiated personal allegation

Perry approved an October advertisement alleging that Stelson exposed herself outside her home, a claim The Inquirer described as unsubstantiated.¹¹ His campaign relied on a neighbor's statement, but its spokesman said he had not seen the photograph the neighbor claimed to possess.¹¹ Police confirmed receiving a dispatch call but did not release the incident records; Stelson denied the allegation and was considering a defamation lawsuit.¹¹