Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity, a supporter of President-elect Trump, has become the most popular state pol in Pennsylvania. Yet to many in deep-blue Philly, she's largely unknown.

Why it matters: Garrity is the first person political insiders put on a short list of contenders who could challenge Gov. Josh Shapiro in 2026.

By the numbers: Garrity now holds the record for most votes earned by a candidate in a statewide race. Her more than 3.5 million votes in November eclipsed a mark set by Shapiro when he ran for attorney general in 2020.

The intrigue: Pennsylvania is among a handful of states that have never elected a woman as governor or senator.

What they're saying: Garrity has a legit shot to change that, pundits say, pointing to her centrist approach and her military background.

• "She ticks all the boxes," St. Joe's professor emeritus and political commentator Randall Miller tells Axios.

Zoom in: As Pennsylvania's fiscal watchdog, Garrity manages more than $160 billion in state funds.

• She helped get a record-setting hundreds of millions of dollars in unclaimed property back into residents' hands in 2022 and 2023 — one contributing factor to her popularity, perhaps, given that most state residents aren't likely to interact much with the treasurer. (Search your unclaimed property here.)

Friction point: Garrity invested millions more than before in Israeli war bonds after the start of the Israel-Hamas War. Her decision drew the ire of pro-Palestinian activists who protested at the state capitol in Harrisburg.

• Garrity tells Axios she "unapologetically" supports Israel and has no plans to divest the state's funds, even as world leaders call for an investigation into allegations of genocide in Gaza.

Flashback: Garrity became the first Republican to hold the treasurer's office in 16 years when she ousted Democratic incumbent Joe Torsella in 2020. Still, she had him speak at her swearing-in ceremony and kept his staff, against the advice of some around her.

The other side: Shapiro is still top dog, pundits say.

• Garrity beat a poorly funded upstate candidate who wasn't favored by state Democrats. If she runs for governor, she'd face a much stiffer contest against a popular incumbent with cross-party appeal who nearly joined a presidential ticket.

What she's saying: Garrity's not commenting on 2026, saying she's just focused on being "the best possible state treasurer."

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RockyFest is happening. The events ramp up tomorrow and go through Sunday.

Why it matters: Philadelphia's most famous fictional son finally gets his first-ever official festival in the city.

Driving the news: The festival kicks off with a "special unveiling" at 10:30am tomorrow at the Rocky Steps, per event organizers.

• Will we see Sylvester Stallone? TBD, organizers tell Axios.

What else to plan for:

🐕 SouthPaws Yappy Hour

• Bring your four-legged fur friend to Cherry Street Pier for happy hour.
• Thursday, 5-7pm; tickets free but registration is required.

🗣️ Rocky Statue talk

• Delve into the history of the Rocky Statue during a discussion with Paul Farber, director of Monument Lab and host of "The Statue" podcast.
• Friday, 5:30-7:30pm at the art museum's Perelman Building
• Tickets: $20

⛸️ Date Night on ice

• Recreate Rocky and Adrian's first date at Penn's ice rink. Count on drink specials, Rocky and Adrian lookalike contests, and "speed dating."
• Friday, 7-10pm
• Tickets: $12.50-$25

The full schedule

Making bonbons is a grueling process that makes the uninitiated say, "Bon voyage." But chocolatier Lisa Schoenbeck digs in and says, "Bon appétit."

Why it matters: The ovarian cancer survivor recently opened Good Good Chocolates, a brick-and-mortar shop in Queen Village that's the perfect place to score holiday treats.

The big picture: The French word "bon" means "good," which inspired the name of Schoenbeck's shop, which, yes, specializes in decadent chocolate bonbons — 21 flavors' worth.

The backstory: Schoenbeck and her husband are pastry chefs. When they moved here from Los Angeles, she borrowed his commercial kitchen equipment and started making bonbons at home.

• They were a hit. But ovarian cancer struck in 2022. She underwent surgery that put her into menopause and several rounds of chemotherapy.

Yes, but: Chocolate makes everyone happy. And that's what Schoenbeck longed for after she got sick.

• She worked through treatment to keep the business afloat, and signed a lease on the Queen Village shop a month after learning she was in remission.

🤯 1 cool thing: Dandelion Chocolate, a huge bean-to-bar chocolate maker in San Francisco, commissioned 64,000 chocolates from Schoenbeck, including for its Advent calendar.

• The collab can be purchased through August 2025.

How her South Philly dry-ice guy helped keep her going

💸 SEPTA's 7.5% fare hike took effect yesterday. Riders will see higher prices for Travel Wallet, SEPTA Key Tix and contactless payments on buses, subways and trolleys, as well as on single-trip fares on Regional Rail, among other changes. (WHYY)

⚡ A power outage at PHL's Terminal D led to delays for more than 40 flights on Friday and Saturday during some of the busiest Thanksgiving travel days. It was unclear what caused the outage. (NBC)

🏈 The Eagles beat the Ravens 24-19 last night. They need two more wins to clinch a playoff berth. (Inquirer)

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Join our membership program for just $50+ a year, and you can support our efforts to keep you in the know of what's happening around town.

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Frankie Ramirez, the former executive chef at LMNO and a longtimer in Stephen Starr's empire, will open his own restaurant between Fishtown and Kensington.

State of the plate: The menu at Amá will be mod-Mexican, with regional specialties from Ramirez's native country. The chef is installing a charcoal- and wood-fired grill, and the kitchen will open out to the dining room.

• 🐙 Menu sneak peek: Expect coal roasted octopus, whole pollo a la brasa, head-on prawns al carbon, carne asada, seasonal vegetarian plates, crudos and aguachiles.

Catch up quick: Ramirez was born in Mexico City, moved to Philly at age 16 and climbed the Starr ranks, cooking at Morimoto, Parc, and Butcher and Singer besides LMNO.

✏️ Mark the calendar: Ramirez and his partners plan to open Amá early in the new year.

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