The 2024 field of Democratic challengers to 10th District congressman Scott Perry continues to grow.
Carlisle school board member Rick Coplen announced that he will run again for the seat and take on Harrisburg City Council member Shamaine Daniels for the Democratic nomination in the spring.
The 10th congressional district comprises all of Dauphin County and parts of Cumberland and York Counties.
Coplen’s challenge is getting to the final round, as he has twice failed to capture a primary race. He lost to Shanna Danielson by 470 votes in the 2020 primary for the 31st state senatorial nomination and to Daniels by five percentage points in the 2022 10th congressional primary.
In his announcement, Coplen sharply criticized the incumbent, Perry.
“I’m not just running against Scott Perry and his extremism,” he said. “I’m running to restore common sense, common decency, and service to the common good in public life.
“People are tired of extremism. People want political leaders to come together in the sensible center of the political spectrum and move America forward. We have to stop listening to the extremists and listen more closely to each other, to the great majority of us who are eager for a normal normal.”
Coplen, a West Point graduate, served in the U.S. Army from 1981 to 2001 and earned a graduate degree from Princeton University in 1992. He has worked as a teacher and facilitator at the U.S. Army War College and has been active in the community through the Carlisle Rotary Club.
One Response
Look at his credentials. Very impressive.
Why have Democrats not allowed him to advance to the general election? He would be a tremendous antidote to Perry.