Garrity will campaign against Democratic incumbent Governor Josh Shapiro.
Last Saturday, the Republican Party of Pennsylvania held its fall meeting in State College. Members voted overwhelmingly to endorse State Treasurer Stacy Garrity as their 2026 gubernatorial candidate.
Former Governor Tom Corbett has also endorsed Garrity.
The party and its fundraising apparatus will now support Garrity ahead of the May primary election.
The early endorsement follows that of U.S. Senator Dave McCormick. In McCormick’s case, the early endorsement allowed the party to support the senator prior to his primary election, and eventually in his successful bid for Senate.
Following Saturday’s endorsement, Garrity said, “Any time you can get an early endorsement, it’s fantastic, and I am so honored to have the endorsement and the confidence of the leaders here of our grassroots party.”
At the meeting, a vote was first taken on whether to make an endorsement at this time. Following the decision to make an endorsement, few people objected to Garrity as the endorsee.
“I’m personally somebody who’s normally against endorsements, but this is a situation where not to endorse her would be an abdication of our responsibility to the party. She is the only one who can beat Josh Shapiro, in our estimation,” said committee member Peter Quaglia after the vote.
In Garrity’s acceptance speech, she said she is “not running for governor as a steppingstone to something bigger,” and that “there is no more dangerous place in Harrisburg than standing between Josh Shapiro and a camera.”
Garrity, a retired Army Reserve colonel and Bradford County native, pointed out that he has worked as a “watchdog” for taxpayer dollars in her role as state treasurer since 2020.
Garrity said during her speech, “Help is on the way. And with your help, we’ll make Pennsylvania a safer, a stronger and a more prosperous place to raise your family, and grow your business, today and for years to come.”
