Republican incumbent Representative Scott Perry has represented Pennsylvania’s 10th congressional district since 2013, now in his fourth full term. He is facing the same scrutiny again, this time from his own party. With allegations surrounding his role in efforts to undermine the 2020 election results and a growing movement seeking to unseat him, Perry’s political future appears increasingly precarious. The district is home to Harrisburg, the state capital, and is one of Pennsylvania’s largest centers of employment for federal employees. This reality means that the ongoing government shutdown truly hits home for the millions of residents.
Perry’s support for former President Donald Trump and his push for Jeffrey Clark’s appointment as acting attorney general have drawn significant attention. Each of these acts are part of a larger probe. Specifically, it details efforts to undermine the peaceful transfer of power in the wake of Joe Biden’s electoral victory. Perry has been quite staunch in his belief that the 2020 election was stolen, putting him in even more close proximity to Trump and other election deniers.
Perry surrendered more than 1,700 text messages, emails, and other communications as a result of the ongoing investigation. Federal prosecutors are beginning to examine this important new evidence. That legal scrutiny has fueled more dissent within the party. Their missteps led to many members forming a group that was named Republicans Against Perry (Rap). This new coalition wants to take advantage of this moment in the political tides in order to make Perry’s message sound as loud as possible.
Craig Snyder, a political strategist involved with Rap, emphasized the group’s strategy amid the ongoing government shutdown: “The government has shut down. Perry still gets paid, you don’t.” He went on to illustrate why this message greatly resonates with distressed furloughed federal employees who make Perry’s district home. These workers’ jobs are at the heart of the direct impact from the shutdown.
As political tensions rise, Snyder noted, “It’s premature to make a sort of final determination,” regarding the potential outcome of the campaign against Perry. On the flip side, he emphasized a key opportunity that their statewide effort is leveraging.
We can use it to narrow down the anti-Perry Republicans. It’s all doable because of the way Pennsylvania’s closed primary system works. And we’ll map out where in the world those people are coming from. That means we can reach them with more precision than we were able to during the last cycle. Snyder added.
Perry’s close ties to the extreme-right Freedom Caucus has earned his focus on leading the party even more enemies – from inside his own party. My saving grace Critics say his controversial positions and actions have made him vulnerable going into the 2026 congressional dogfights. Including Perry’s seat Politics PA has deemed it one of the most vulnerable in the upcoming special elections.
Republicans Against Perry are intensifying their campaign. They’re hoping to reach constituents who are disappointed by Perry’s actions and see a difference between his actions and what they need from him in the wake of the government shutdown. The New York-based group’s strategy underscores Perry’s connections to anti-LGBTQ figures. Additionally, it highlights his participation in many deeply unpopular actions.