A Philadelphia union boss has a message for GOP state Treasurer Stacy Garrity: Run against Democrat Gov. Josh Shapiro, and you’re dead to us.
It’s no secret that Garrity, who was handily reelected to a second term last year, is interested in a run for governor. Now, Philadelphia Building Trades manager Ryan Boyer is making it clear his union wants her to stay on the sidelines.
“Make no mistake if Stacy Garrity chooses to run for governor against our friend and champion of working women and men, Gov. Josh Shapiro, the full force of our members and resources will be employed to defeat her efforts,” Boyer posted on social media.
He also accused Garrity of “kowtow(ing) to Trump, publicly championing the destructive federal budget bill that decimated energy projects that were a lifeline for thousands of trades jobs across the commonwealth.”
“Should Treasurer Garrity make the foolish decision to challenge our governor, she will never again have the support of the Philadelphia Building Trades,” Boyer added.
“Not even for county dog catcher.”
The threat is significant because the same union supported Garrity’s reelection bid last year.
“Stacy Garrity is the real deal,” Boyer said last September. “Stacy’s got our backs, and we’ve got hers.”
GOP sources say the Pennsylvania GOP is likely to endorse Garrity for the governor’s nomination, due in part to her previous electoral success. In 2024, she set a new record for the number of votes received by a state-level candidate in Pennsylvania, surpassing the record set by Josh Shapiro in 2022.
Republican women got Garrity’s back.
“Intimidation is a form of harassment, and the statement he issued crossed the line. We are calling on Gov. Josh Shapiro to denounce this harassing and demeaning rhetoric from his ally,” said the state Senate Republican Women’s Caucus in a statement. “As elected officials, we respect the First Amendment and differences of opinions, but have zero tolerance for using tactics of intimidation.”
Her admirers note Garrity is a decorated former U.S. Army Reserve officer who served three deployments in the Gulf and Iraq wars.
“Stacy Garrity is a breath of fresh air,” said Guy Ciarrocchi, a Chester County-based Republican commentator. “She’s actually worked in the private sector and has visited natural gas wells, mushroom farms, and biotech firms—no one needs to explain job creation to her. And, as an Army officer who served in the Middle East, no one is going to intimidate her.”
State Sen. Kim Ward (R-Westmoreland) said Garrity is under attack because Democrats don’t want to run against her.
“She would be a great candidate. She’s strong. She will fight. She is not a wallflower. And she’s smart. If I were Josh Shapiro, I wouldn’t want to run against her, either.”
Neither Garrity nor Shapiro commented for this article.