Pennsylvania Republicans eyeing 2026 governor's race
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State Treasurer Stacy Garrity could become the state's first female governor if she wins next year. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty
The Pennsylvania Republican Party is teeing up a likely endorsement of state Treasurer Stacy Garrity this weekend for the 2026 gubernatorial race.
Why it matters: Among Pennsylvania's most popular politicians and a President Trump backer, Garrity could prove a threat to Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro next year and test the GOP's winning streak in the state.
State of play: State Republican committee members will vote on Saturday whether to back Garrity during their fall meeting in State College.
- Garrity, who announced her bid last month, is the only gubernatorial candidate under consideration leading into the weekend.
- Any other candidate can seek the endorsement.
- Garrity didn't immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.
Context: Shapiro has yet to announce he's seeking reelection, but the GOP is expecting the ambitious first-term governor and big-time fundraiser to do so.
- His inclusion on the shortlist for Kamala Harris' vice presidential picks last year has also fueled speculation over whether he'll surface as a potential Democratic presidential candidate in 2028.
The intrigue: State Sen. Doug Mastriano, a former Republican gubernatorial candidate who lost to Shapiro in 2022, hasn't ruled out another run.
- Mastriano didn't respond to Axios' request for comment.
The big picture: Republicans are having a moment in Pennsylvania while Democrats are stuck in rebuild mode.
- A red wave swept the state last year, unseating a Democratic U.S. senator, flipping Pennsylvania in the presidential election and taking all three statewide row offices.
- Plus: The GOP's voter registration is surging and quickly narrowing the gap with Democrats.
What they're saying: "We're going to need a strong candidate to beat Josh Shapiro next November," James Markley, spokesperson for the state's GOP, tells Axios.
Between the lines: If Garrity gets her party's nod, it could deter other would-be candidates from entering the race, avoiding a potentially messy, damaging and expensive statewide primary battle in the fall.
- The endorsement also allows the state GOP to throw its resources behind a single gubernatorial candidate.
- It would signal that the party wants a "nice, clean process," Randall Miller, St. Joe's professor emeritus of history and political commentator, tells Axios. It says, "We're all standing behind you, so the focus can be on beating Shapiro."