Blake Lynch
The money race for the Harrisburg-area congressional seat has heated up, just as one candidate received a significant endorsement.
On Thursday, Harrisburg Mayor Wanda Williams endorsed Blake Lynch, a candidate in the crowded Democratic field for the 10th congressional district, which includes all of Dauphin and parts of Cumberland and York counties.
“Blake Lynch is the leader we need in Washington,” Williams said, in a statement. “I saw it with my own eyes as he built bridges between the Harrisburg community and local first responders. He built trust and understanding between residents and police officers, and in the process, played an instrumental role in making our neighborhoods safer.”
Lynch served as the Harrisburg police community relations director before becoming an executive at WITF, the public media organization for central PA. He left that position last year in order to run for Congress.
For fundraising totals among Democrats, former TV news anchor Janelle Stelson leads the field, having raised about $281,000 during the fourth quarter of 2023, according to just-released figures from the Federal Elections Commission. As of Jan. 1, she had $140,000 on hand, according to the finance report.
Marine Corps veteran Mike O’Brien is in second place among Democrats, raising $260,000 in the fourth quarter, with $186,000 on hand. Lynch reported raising about $54,000 in the fourth quarter, leaving him with almost $22,000 as of Jan. 1.
Shamaine Daniels, a Harrisburg city council member and the Democratic nominee two years ago, reported raising about $13,000. Rick Coplen, a Carlisle school board member, raised nearly $11,000 in the quarter, as did candidate John Broadhurst. Two remaining declared candidates, Bob Forbes and William Lillich, had not filed campaign finance reports as of late Wednesday.
The Republican incumbent, Scott Perry, raised about $402,000 during the quarter and entered January with $547,000 on hand, according to his finance report.
Meanwhile, the candidates have been busy getting signatures on their nominating petitions, with a deadline of Feb. 13.
The primary election is slated for April 23, with the general election on Nov. 5.
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