Update 2:19 a.m.: This story has been updated to reflect Perry’s win
Just after 2 a.m. Wednesday, the Associated Press declared that U.S. Rep. Scott Perry defeated Democrat Shamaine Daniels to continue representing voters in three Harrisburg region counties.
Shortly before midnight on Tuesday, Perry led Daniels 52% to 48% with 94% of precincts counted, according to unofficial results.
The win gives Perry, 60, a sixth two-year term representing the 10th U.S. House district, which covers all of Dauphin County and parts of Cumberland and York counties.
Speaking before the race was called, Perry was expansive regarding voter trust in a Pennsylvania election system which, because of expanded mail-in voting approved in 2019 by a Republican-led state legislature, was unlikely to give definitive results for at least a few more hours.
“I don’t know why in the 21st century we can’t count votes. We did just three years ago. What has changed?,” Perry said.
He declined to endorse the idea, supported by county election officials across the state, of allowing the counting of mail-in ballots to start sooner. As it stands, counting can’t begin until 7 a.m. on Election Day — the main reason for the delayed results.
Perry said he favored the old way of voting, when absentee ballots were the only kind that weren’t done in-person on Election Day.
Asked about the popularity of mail-in voting, which has led to record turnout in some elections, he turned to the subject of “trust in the results.”
“Any erosion of that whatsoever is a step in the wrong direction,” he said.
Perry arrived late Tuesday at a small gathering of Republicans at Boomerang Bar and Grill near New Cumberland.
He mingled with supporters but didn’t address the full group.
Speaking to reporters, he said he would have no comment on anything related to the U.S. Justice Department or investigations.
Following former President Donald Trump’s loss to President Joe Biden in 2020, Perry was a leading purveyor of false claims of a stolen election.
The special House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol alleges Perry was a key player in unsuccessful efforts to install a U.S. attorney general who was sympathetic to claims of a stolen election, and who was plotting to overturn results in key states including Pennsylvania. Perry has refused to testify before the committee, but has said he did nothing wrong.
On Tuesday night, he said his focus during another term would be on battling inflation and high energy costs, which he blamed fully on the Biden administration. He also vowed to represent all voters in the district regardless of party.
Elizabeth Gallo of Dillsburg, a Perry supporter, said she isn’t worried the allegations against Perry might at some point interfere with his ability to represent the district.
“I don’t see what he did wrong. I don’t think he was inciting violence,” she said.
Gallo, 28, said she supports Perry because “he’s a good voice for us in D.C.,” and his views match hers on subjects that are important to her, such as border security.
“I do like the fact that he backed President Trump 100%,” she said.
Daniels couldn’t immediately be reached late Tuesday.
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