Formidable PA Official Declares Bid to Unseat Gov. Josh Shapiro

HARRISBURG, PA — Two-term Republican state treasurer Stacy Garrity will seek to challenge Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro next year.

Garrity announced Monday that she will attempt to win the GOP nomination for governor in 2026 and then run against Shapiro in the general election in November, Shapiro, mentioned as a potential presidential contender in 2028, is not expected to face a Democratic primary challenger.

Garrity, 61, of Bradford County, launched a campaign website and released a video on Monday. The video contends that Shapiro is "spending his time running for president" and raising money for a presidential bid.

"Retired U.S. Army Reserve Colonel, businesswoman, and our commonwealth’s 78th Treasurer, Stacy Garrity has lived a life of service to her nation, her Commonwealth, and her community, " her campaign website states.

"In uniform, Stacy rose to the rank of Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve, serving three deployments in defense of our nation: Operation Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom."

Democratic Governers' Association spokesperson Izzi Levy released the following statement on Garrity's announcement:

“Stacy Garrity is as extreme as they come – and with her dangerous agenda and a record of lauding DC Republicans’ disastrous budget bill, she can’t be trusted to stand up for Pennsylvanians.

"Garrity’s support for a bill that rips health care away from hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians while ballooning our national deficit and killing energy jobs, gleefully celebrating the overturning of Roe v. Wade, and pushing plans to defund the public schools families across the commonwealth rely on all make it clear that she is wrong for Pennsylvania.

“Whether it’s Stacy Garrity or another flawed and extreme candidate who emerges to challenge Gov. Shapiro, Republicans’ eventual nominee has an uphill battle to take on the governor’s strong record of working across party lines to cut costs, invest in public safety, fund public education, and deliver for all Pennsylvanians.”