(The Center Square) – The race for Pennsylvania governor is set between Gov. Josh Shapiro and State Treasurer Stacy Garrity.
Shapiro and Garrity were the only candidates for governor on the ballot for their respective parties’ primary elections on Tuesday.
While the results formally locked in the matchup, the two have had their sights set on the general election for months as each party’s presumptive nominee.
Shapiro was elected to the office in 2022 after defeating GOP state Sen. Doug Mastriano by double digits. In that victory, Shapiro, who was serving in his second term as the state’s Attorney General, broke a Pennsylvania record for most votes received in a statewide election.
Garrity, a military veteran and businesswoman, is serving her second term as State Treasurer. In 2020, she defeated incumbent Democratic Treasurer Joe Torsella, despite being heavily outspent. She won her most recent election in 2024 over Democrat Erin McClelland and broke Shapiro’s record for the most votes in a statewide election.
On the campaign trail, Shapiro has touted his record leading the commonwealth, while criticizing Garrity’s association with President Donald Trump. She has referred to herself as a “strong ally” of the president.
Garrity, during campaign events, has claimed Shapiro is letting the state fall behind in a few key areas and accuses him of being focused on a 2028 presidential run rather than leading Pennsylvania.
Although Trump’s name did not appear on the state’s primary ballot, both candidates referenced the president by name on Tuesday.
“I think what’s clear is that Donald Trump keeps injecting chaos and cruelty and corruption into our commonwealth and into our country,” Shapiro said to reporters on Tuesday morning in Montgomery County. “People are sick and tired of it.”
“I think you’re going to have a national referendum this November on Donald Trump, and I wouldn’t want to be Trump or any Trump-backed candidate, knowing how angry people are about how things cost too much, about this war overseas that is not only wrongheaded, but driving up prices here at home, about the pure corruption that we’re seeing every day coming out of the Trump administration,” Shapiro continued. “I would not want to be associated with Donald Trump, but a whole lot of people, including my opponent, are, and I’m not sure it’s going to turn out real well for them in November.”
Garrity posted multiple social media messages on Tuesday touting the endorsement she received from Trump.
“President Trump doubled down, and so should you,” Garrity wrote on social media. “Get out and vote Garrity-Richey today!”
Garrity shared a screenshot of an endorsement Trump gave her, calling the GOP gubernatorial nominee a “true America First Patriot, who has been with me from the beginning.”
“As your next Governor, Stacy will work tirelessly to Grow the Economy, Cut Taxes and Regulations, Promote MADE IN THE U.S.A., Champion American Energy DOMINANCE, Strengthen our Military/Veterans, Keep our Border SECURE, Ensure LAW AND ORDER, Safeguard our Elections, and Defend our always under siege Second Amendment,” Trump wrote on social media.
While Garrity was the only Republican candidate to file for the governor’s race, a write-in campaign for Mastriano garnered some attention leading into Tuesday’s primary election.
While Trump won the state’s 19 electoral votes in 2024 over Vice President Kamala Harris, recent polling has shown his approval rating in the state has fallen.
Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, who was elected alongside Shapiro in 2022, will once again be on the Democratic Party ticket in November as the candidate for lieutenant governor. When Davis was sworn into office, he became the first Black lieutenant governor in Pennsylvania history.
Davis was the only Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor on the primary ballot.
Jason Richey, an attorney and Allegheny County Republican Committee Chairman, earned the Republican Party nod for lieutenant governor, beating John Ventre, a former UPS executive.
Richey was backed by Garrity and the Pennsylvania Republican Party in the primary election.
Shapiro holds a massive fundraising advantage in the race. According to the last campaign finance report released earlier this month, Shapiro’s campaign has $38 million on hand, while Garrity has $1.4 million, according to ABC27.
National ratings outlets like the Cook Political Report indicate that Shapiro is a heavy favorite, while multiple polls released this year show Shapiro with a double-digit lead.
“Shapiro has an approval rating consistently around 60%, a gargantuan cash-on-hand advantage and a decisive polling lead over GOP state Treasurer Stacy Garrity, making it almost impossible to see him coming up short in his quest for a second term,” the Cook Political Report wrote in March about the race.
Pennsylvania Republican Party Chairman Greg Rothman acknowledged Garrity’s status as an underdog in the race in an interview with the The Center Square in April, but still expressed optimism that she could win the race in November.
