Scott Perry led a conservative House takeover. Now he's in a tough race against a moderate Democrat

YORK, Pa. (AP) — In the intense race for House control, candidates in the most competitive districts have mostly followed a similar playbook, boosting their moderate credentials while playing to a middle ground of voters. Then there’s the arch-conservative Rep. Scott Perry.

The Pennsylvania Republican chaired the right-wing House Freedom Caucus while it seized control of the GOP’s House majority in 2022, often grinding the chamber to a halt to force Republican leaders to hear out their demands. Perry also played a prominent role in then- President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, to the point that the FBI seized his cell phone as part of an investigation.

Yet Perry is not backing away from his history as a disruptor, even as the Freedom Caucus has been at the center of a chaotic and historically unproductive two years for the House. He is being challenged by Democrat Janelle Stelson, a former TV news anchor who is well-known in a fast-growing district that includes Harrisburg and its surrounding communities.

“Should I just go along with Washington, D.C., as most of my other colleagues did, just to moderate myself?” Perry said. “No, I’m going to do the right thing every single time I have the opportunity.”