Republican Stacy Garrity seeks to challenge Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s reelection bid

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Stacy Garrity, Pennsylvania’s two-term elected state treasurer, said Monday that she will seek the Republican nomination to challenge Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro ’s reelection bid, setting up what could be a contest between a low-profile officeholder and a potential White House contender in 2028.

Garrity said in a statement that she will "will bring jobs back, strengthen our economy and make Pennsylvania more affordable for families in every corner of the state.”

Some top Pennsylvania Republicans support Garrity in the 2026 race for governor and hope she’ll see a clear primary field, although those hopes have been buffeted in recent weeks by 2022’s losing gubernatorial candidate, Doug Mastriano, suggesting that he'll run again.

Garrity has hinted at a run for months and stepped up her criticism of Shapiro. In campaign fundraising appeals, she accused Shapiro of being soft on law and order and hostile to her “pro-worker, pro-energy, pro-America agenda.”

Shapiro has returned fire, blasting her for supporting President Donald Trump’s big tax break and spending cut package. Shapiro said it would hurt rural hospitals and people who rely on Medicaid, drive up the cost of energy and blow up the federal deficit.

Garrity’s task of challenging Shapiro is, by any measure, a tall one. Garrity is relatively untested and spent less than $3 million in her two campaigns for treasurer in 2020 and 2024.

Shapiro has won three statewide races, carries a reputation as a disciplined messenger and powerhouse fundraiser who spent more than $70 million alone in his sole campaign for governor, smashing Pennsylvania’s campaign finance record.

He’s grown into a national figure after he made Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris’ shortlist for vice presidential running mates last year and is viewed as a potential White House contender for the party in 2028.

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