Eugene DePasquale wins bid to take on Scott Perry for 10th Congressional seat

Update from June 8: With the completion of mail-in ballot counts in Dauphin and Cumberland counties Monday, Tom Brier conceded the 10th Congressional District’s Democratic Party nomination to Eugene DePasquale.

In the race to compete against Republican Congressman Scott Perry in November, Democratic voters on Tuesday went with their close friend and political ally, State Auditor General Eugene DePasquale. 

With all 341 precincts reported Wednesday morning, DePasquale, of North York, was leading with 62.74% of the vote, outpacing Hershey-raised attorney and author Tom Brier, who had 37.26% percent, according to unofficial results.

DePasquale was hesitant to call the race too early because mail-in and absentee ballots have not been fully reported.

"There are thousands of ballots left to be counted, but it’s clear that there is real momentum behind this campaign and our vision for South Central Pennsylvania," DePasquale said in a statement. "This campaign is ready for the general election against Scott Perry, and we look forward to moving forward officially."

Check back for more results later.

The primary race between the two Democrats in the 10th Congressional District was competitive.

Brier ran a tight campaign marked by numerous television ads and had also filed an election complaint against DePasquale in April, accusing the auditor general of violating federal campaign finance laws. The complaint alleged that DePasquale’s campaign used money from previous campaigns, but DePasquale says he did nothing wrong.

However, because of what the Brier campaign has described as "notarizing difficulties" tied to the pandemic, the complaint has not yet been formally taken up by the FEC.

The winner will advance to the November general election to face off against Perry, uncontested in the primary, for Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional District seat. The race is already believed to be one of the most contested in the state.

The district includes York city and much of northern York County, all of Dauphin County and part of Cumberland County, and has an estimated population of 694,398.

More:Pa. Primary: See live results from presidential, local races

York County has been represented by a Republican since 1966. And Perry, an Iraq war veteran, has been in the U.S. House since 2012 and owns the most conservative voting record among Pennsylvania’s 18-member U.S. House delegation, according to American Conservative Union ratings.

DePasquale’s name recognition could present a challenge for Perry, who secured his re-election by less than 3 percentage points in 2018 in a tight race against candidate George Scott.

It was the closest race Perry had been a part of yet. He won big in his previous general elections to congress: by 25 percentage points in 2012; 49 points in 2014; and 32 points in 2016.

And DePasquale said he’s up for the challenge.

“I know how to make things work — I know how to handle government dysfunction,” DePasquale said in a previous interview with the York Daily Record. “We need to make sure we are better prepared if anything like this ever happens again. We can’t just shut down the country for two months every time something like this happens.”

The auditor general plans to challenge the incumbent, focusing on issues like healthcare costs, insurance and economic issues that are negatively affecting the middle-class community.

“Folks here at home are getting ripped off by people in Washington — the economy isn’t working for everyone,” DePasquale said. “Congress has made it worse by passing tax-cuts that favor the wealthy while doing little to help middle-class people and our seniors.”

DePasquale, 48, said that if elected, his first order of business would be to introduce a bill to create funding to end the backlog of rape kits nationally. It’s been something he’s advocated since his investigation in 2016 revealed that the state had a backlog of 3,200 untested rape kits, dating back 20 years.

Where does DePasquale stand on major issues?

• Healthcare: DePasquale believes that access to health care is a fundamental human right and wants to expand the Affordable Care Act. Specifically, he is hoping to lower out-of-pocket costs, protect people with pre-existing conditions, and lower the cost of prescription drugs.
• Economy: He supports greater emphasis on jobs in skilled trades and is advocating for a $15 minimum wage.
• Environment: DePasquale said he wants to focus on investment in alternative energy and supports tax credits to incentivize the use of solar power.

Despite DePasquale's substantial lead, Brier isn't out of the race just yet because of mail-in and absentee voting. 

This was Brier’s first run for elective office, which he has said was largely inspired by the election of 2016 and President Trump’s victory.

“I realized how far off track our country had gone and I saw my future really change overnight, and the future of the country change in a way I didn’t see coming,” Brier said in previous interview. “So I dug into what we needed to do to fix that and I thought, ‘Well if we don’t have someone doing what we need them to do, this might be the time to give this a shot.’”

The 28-year-old ran on a more progressive platform — one where he is prioritizing climate change and supporting the House Democrats’ Green New Deal, and one where he hopes to provide a new type of economy for working Americans.

“I don’t want to be just another politician — I want people to trust me,” Brier said, noting that he hopes to hold town halls every quarter if elected. “I want people to feel as if they have a sense of participation in the political process.”

Where does Brier stand on major issues?

• Healthcare: Brier said he will oppose any effort to roll back protections for people with pre-existing conditions, and wants to ensure that small businesses and families in particular have access to affordable healthcare. 
• Economy: Brier also wants to see the minimum wage rise to $15. He believes in implementing job training and apprenticeship programs, particularly for those without college degrees, but for those pursuing higher education, he wants to prioritize debt-free education for all Americans.
• Environment: He supports the Green New Deal and believes addressing the climate crisis begins with cutting carbon pollution roughly in half by 2030.

Sam Ruland is the Pennsylvania issues reporter for the York Daily Record and USA Today Network, covering all aspects of life in Pennsylvania. Contact her at sruland@ydr.com, 717-654-8779 and follow her on Twitter @sam_ruland.