Janelle Stelson calls out DC Republicans for spiking gas prices

Standing just steps away from a Harrisburg gas station where the cost of fuel has risen to $4.24, Democratic congressional candidate Janelle Stelson on Monday blamed Republicans in Washington, D.C., for the rising cost of gas, groceries and other everyday goods. 

Stelson, who is seeking the Democratic nomination in Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional District in hopes of a rematch with U.S. Rep. Scott Perry in the fall, cited tariffs and the ongoing war in Iran as two major contributors to rising costs – and looked to draw a contrast between herself and Perry as she seeks a rematch of their 2024 matchup. 

“The people of Central Pennsylvania deserve answers, because the cost of living is crushing Central Pennsylvania families and our congressman, Scott Perry, just keeps making it worse,” Stelson said Monday at a press conference outside of a Mobil gas station along Walnut Street in Harrisburg. 

“He supports the tariff policies that are driving up prices of groceries, building materials, household goods and housing. These tariffs are taxes, and they are not being paid by China or any other country; they're being paid by you, by American families, by Central Pennsylvania small businesses,” she added.

Since the start of the Iran War in late February, oil and gas prices have risen nationwide, with the average price for regular unleaded gas topping $4 a gallon over the last week, according to AAA data.

Stelson was joined on Monday by local residents who weighed in on how the high prices of gas and other goods have affected them. She told attendees that if she’s elected to represent voters in Washington, she’ll work to repeal President Donald Trump’s tariffs, advocate for a more stable foreign policy, and make Affordable Care Act tax credits permanent. 

Stelson, a former news anchor with WGAL, ran against Perry in the 2024 general election and lost by a margin of 49.4% to 50.6% – or 5,133 votes. 

She quickly earned an endorsement from Gov. Josh Shapiro upon launching her 2026 campaign last year, and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee added Stelson to its “Red To Blue” program, which provides fundraising and organizational support to Democratic candidates.

Stelson will face Justin Douglas, the chair of the Dauphin County Board of Commissioners, in the Democratic primary on May 19.

The nonpartisan Cook Political Report has Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional District rated as a “toss-up” in 2026, as does Sabato’s Crystal Ball, a project of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia. Meanwhile, Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales rates the district as “tilt Republican.”

Stelson also criticized Perry on Monday for his support of Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and his opposition to an extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits. 

In a statement to City & State, Perry shot back at Stelson over her remarks on Monday, saying Stelson “said nothing when gas prices ballooned to over $5 a gallon when she was running alongside Joe Biden.”

(According to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the national average price for a gallon of gas in 2024 was $3.30, with the retail gasoline price hitting $3.67 a gallon at its highest in April 2024. However, the price of gas did top $5 a gallon in June 2022 during President Joe Biden’s administration, per AAA data.)

“And if Stelson had her way,” Perry added, “taxes would have been raised by more than $2,000 on Pennsylvanians because she opposed the renewal of the Trump middle-class tax cuts. So while it’s not shocking to hear her recent disingenuous rant, it’s certainly more than hypocritical of Janelle Stelson to be speaking out against gas prices all of a sudden.”

Perry said he hopes a resolution in Iran will be reached soon – and ultimately bring down gas prices. 

“Like so many citizens across our region and nation, I want gas prices to come down, and I understand firsthand the strain these high prices put on families,” Perry said. “It’s everyone’s goal that resolution will be brought to the War in Iran soon, so we can be rid of the threat of a nuclear Iran and energy prices can return to pre-war levels.”