At their annual fall meeting, members of the Pennsylvania Republican Party endorsed state Treasurer Stacy Garrity for governor. Garrity will run against incumbent Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro in 2026.
The endorsement came from the full Republican State Committee, which voted at its fall meeting Friday and Saturday.
In its announcement, the Pennsylvania GOP said, “This endorsement underscores the growing unity among Republicans across the commonwealth and reflects confidence in Garrity’s record of service, leadership, and results.”
“Stacy Garrity represents the very best of Pennsylvania. She is a proven leader with a record of service, integrity, and results,” said GOP Chairman Sen. Greg Rothman. “As state treasurer, Stacy has fought to protect taxpayers, bring accountability to Harrisburg, and ensure fiscal responsibility. We are proud to endorse her campaign for governor, and we are confident she will lead Pennsylvania with the same dedication she has shown throughout her career in public service, the private sector, and the military.”
Garrity, who announced her candidacy in August, served for 30 years in the U.S. Army Reserve, retiring as a colonel after three Middle East deployments. While commanding Camp Bucca, a detention facility in Iraq, she earned the nickname “Angel of the Desert” for her fair treatment of prisoners.
She worked for three decades for Global Tungsten and Powders Corp., becoming the company’s first female vice president, before running for state treasurer. In that role, she oversaw the return of more than $1 billion in unclaimed property to Pennsylvanians and expanded the PA ABLE program, which helps residents with disabilities save for the future.
Garrity said she is “deeply honored” to receive the party’s endorsement.
“This vote of confidence marks a pivotal moment in our campaign to restore strong, conservative leadership across the commonwealth,” Garrity said. “With the support of our state party and Pennsylvania Republicans, we will continue building a strong grassroots campaign dedicated to delivering real results: restoring fiscal responsibility, making our communities safer, and creating opportunities for hardworking Pennsylvanians. Together, we will fight to protect our values, defend our freedoms, and make Pennsylvania one of the best places to live, work, and raise a family.”
In the 2022 election, Shapiro defeated state Sen. Doug Mastriano (R-Franklin) by a wide margin. In that race, Shapiro positioned himself as a moderate Democrat and won support from independent voters, centrist Republicans, and Democrats.
Party leaders chose not to endorse a gubernatorial candidate in that election until close to the primary, where Mastriano came first in a field of nine.
Longtime Republican consultant Charlie Gerow believes this early endorsement will give Garrity the boost she needs to prevail.
“The early endorsement will certainly help Stacy Garrity as it did Sen. McCormick two years ago,” Gerow said. “It should be an early boost to her fundraising. It may prove pivotal as it effectively clears the field except for a potential Mastriano candidacy.
“But Mastriano ran against a very crowded field four years ago. If he runs this year, he won’t have that luxury. His base, while loyal and enthusiastic, couldn’t help him crack 45 percent. That’s enough to walk off in a crowded field, not so much in a two-person race,” Gerow added.
However, Pennsylvania Democratic Party Chair Eugene DePasquale criticized Garrity as “wrong for Pennsylvania.”
DePasquale tied Garrity to President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” and said she fought for “an extreme anti-choice agenda.”
“If Stacy Garrity does become the GOP insiders’ pick for governor, they will be making a clear choice: pledging allegiance to a candidate who has pledged her own allegiance to Donald Trump and a dangerous agenda that will hurt the people of Pennsylvania,” DePasquale said. “The voters of the commonwealth know they can’t trust someone like that anywhere near the governor’s office.”
But Garrity remains confident.
“Together, we will fight to protect our values, defend our freedoms, and make Pennsylvania one of the best places to live, work, and raise a family,” she said.
Garrity’s “Help is On the Way” Tour will be in Newtown Sept. 25 at 7 p.m. at the Newtown Sports & Events Center.