Is Garrity a go?

With less than eighteen months to go before the 2026 general election, Pennsylvania state Republicans are in search of a candidate for the governor’s mansion that can not only turn back incumbent Gov. Josh Shapiro, but also possibly help protect the GOP with its legislative positions in Harrisburg and Washington.

Two names continue to be floated as potential standard-bearers next year – State Treasurer Stacy Garrity and Rep. Dan Meuser (R-09).

While Meuser has been front and center on the airwaves championing President Donald Trump’s agenda and hinting at a possible gubernatorial run, Garrity, while less in the limelight, has not shied away from allowing herself to be prominently mentioned as a front-runner.

The challenge for both? Taking down an unusually popular first-term governor in Shapiro who:

1. Won election by fifteen percentage points in 2022;
2. Has strong name recognition and was considered for the number two position on the 2024 Democratic presidential ticket; and
3. Had $11 million cash on hand entering 2025.

While Meuser received the public support from Trump during a presidential speech in Pittsburgh earlier in the month, it is Garrity that is receiving attention from prominent Pennsylvanians.

Among those prominent Keystone State Republicans is Bob Asher, a former member of the Republican National Committee and co-chair of the board of directors for Asher’s Chocolates. He has also served as an advisor to Pennsylvania governors and attorneys general.

She has also attracted nearly 40 other supporters who are encouraging the 61-year-old to run, including five state senators, twelve state representatives, and seventeen county GOP chairs.

Garrity is an attractive candidate who received the most votes of any statewide candidate in state history in winning reelection to the Treasurer’s position last year. She also has made a name for herself by returning millions in unclaimed property to state residents, as well as serving in the U.S. Army Reserves until her retirement as a colonel.

“I’ve told her, ‘Please run,’” said Kathy Kemp Jensen, the Warren County GOP chair to the Philadelphia Inquirer. “I honestly think that she could beat [Shapiro], and I think she would do a fantastic job as governor.”

Also considering another run for governor is state Sen. Doug Mastriano (R-Adams/Franklin), who was the GOP nominee in 2022 but was defeated by Shapiro.

“I don’t think ‘two time’s the charm,’” said Steve Adams, the Wayne County GOP chair. “I supported Doug, but I think Stacy’s the one this time.”

There is some concern among top state Republicans that nominating Meuser may hurt the GOP two-fold – one in not regaining the state’s top spot and the other in possibly losing the Republican majority in the U.S. House should Meuser choose to run for governor vs. his solidly-red district in NEPA.

“With that being said, Treasurer Garrity is a tremendous public official who I admire greatly,” Meuser added. “The most important thing for the GOP is to win back the governor’s office, and that will take a unified campaign, regardless of who the nominee is.”

Garrity told the Pennsylvania Leadership Conference in April that she was flattered to have well-wishers tell her to run.

“It’s really an honor that so many people have asked me to think about it,” Garrity told the Pennsylvania Capital-Star. “We’d have to make a decision, probably in the summer.”

For his part, Meuser said that any public announcement could wait until mid-summer or around August 1.

Mastriano did not attend the annual gathering of Pennsylvania conservatives in Camp Hill.

Steve Ulrich is the managing editor of PoliticsPA, where this piece originally appeared.