Janelle Stelson laid out her first-term priorities on Wednesday, Nov. 4, one day after defeating seven-term Republican Rep. Scott Perry in Pennsylvania's 10th Congressional District.

The district covers all of Dauphin County and parts of Cumberland and York counties, according to Spotlight PA. That includes Mechanicsburg-area communities in Cumberland County.

Speaking outside Harrisburg's Broad Street Market, where supporters gathered to celebrate her victory, Stelson identified ending the war in Iran, lowering costs for families and fighting corruption in Washington as early priorities.

Stelson said she wanted to end the Iran war immediately, according to TheBurg, which covered the event. She connected the conflict to rising diesel costs for local farmers, who must harvest their crops regardless of fuel prices.

Alongside the Iran war, Stelson identified healthcare and government corruption as priorities for her first term. Her broader campaign platform also includes proposals addressing housing, groceries and utility costs.

Preparing for Congress

Stelson acknowledged she is new to elected office. She described herself as an outsider who was still learning what the transition to Congress would involve, according to TheBurg.

The election marked her second attempt to unseat Perry. In 2024, she lost to the incumbent by just over one percentage point.

Stelson said the 2026 result reflected voters' desire for change. She also acknowledged that some residents had voted against her and said she intended to listen to constituents across the district.

A divided district

The 10th Congressional District has nearly 546,000 registered voters. State data cited by Spotlight PA showed 43% registered as Republicans, 37% as Democrats and 20% as unaffiliated.

The district had been represented by Republicans for decades. Perry first won election to Congress in 2012 and began serving in January 2013.

Stelson spent more than three decades as a television journalist covering central Pennsylvania before seeking elected office. Her first campaign against Perry ended in a narrow defeat in 2024.

The Nov. 3 result gives Democrats a seat previously held by Republicans and brings a new representative to communities in Cumberland, Dauphin and York counties.

Campaign promises and congressional priorities

Stelson's published campaign platform calls for reducing housing costs through changes to construction rules, expanded small-dollar home loans and incentives for communities that build more housing.

She also supports making federal tax exemptions for tips and overtime permanent. Her proposals include efforts to lower prescription drug costs and expand access to healthcare.

On government ethics, Stelson has proposed banning members of Congress and their immediate families from trading individual stocks while in office.

Her government reform agenda also calls for congressional term limits, restrictions on former members becoming lobbyists and changes to campaign finance enforcement.

She has proposed limiting her own congressional service to 12 years, whether or not Congress adopts broader term limits.

Other campaign positions include protecting abortion access, supporting changes to the minimum wage and giving communities greater authority over proposed data center developments.

Stelson's proposals will now move from campaign positions to potential legislative action. Whether they advance will depend on legislation introduced in Congress and the support those measures receive.

She is scheduled to begin her first congressional term in January.