Following significant Republican victories in Pennsylvania last month, a number of prospective candidates are vying to succeed Governor Josh Shapiro in 2026.
Shapiro, a 51-year-old Democrat serving his first term, has a very high approval rating. After defeating the Democratic field in the primary and establishment Republicans failing to stop right-wing State Sen. Doug Mastriano, R., of Franklin County, from winning the GOP primary, he was almost unopposed in the 2022 governor race. Without ever having to participate in a debate during the election cycle, Shapiro defeated Mastriano by a margin of 15 percentage points.
Republican U.S. Representative Dan Meuser, 60, who has served in the House of Representatives since 2019 and represents portions of Northeastern Pennsylvania, stated that he is thinking about running for governor but has not yet made up his mind. Meuser was a former president of the wheelchair firm Pride Mobility Products, served as secretary of revenue in the previous government of former Governor Tom Corbett, and has consistently supported President-elect Donald Trump.
Meuser stated, “I’ve been getting some encouragement and I’m doing some due diligence.”
Treasurer Stacy Garrity, 60, who was reelected to a second term last month with a landslide victory, is another possible candidate that several Republicans have expressed interest in running. Shapiro’s record was subsequently broken by Garrity, a former U.S. Army Reserve colonel who earned two Bronze Star Medals for her service in Middle Eastern combat zones. She also won the most votes ever cast for a statewide position in Pennsylvania history.
When asked if she was considering a run and how she felt about the support from her colleagues, she refused to disclose if she intended to enter the race.
Garrity remarked, “I feel so honored that they are considering me.” But we just had a victory, you know. In the first term, we accomplished a lot. There is still much more to be done, but we essentially shattered every record in the Treasury. I’m basically just concentrating on my role as treasurer at the moment.
Similar to this, many Pennsylvania Republicans who attended events in the Midtown Manhattan area for the state’s yearly retreat to New York City for extravagant parties wanted to take Shapiro more seriously in the midterm election. Shapiro is still a leading candidate in the 2028 presidential race and has long been speculated to have presidential aspirations. Whether he runs for reelection will depend on how well he does, according to experts.
Shapiro is focused on the work he was elected to do, according to a statement from his spokesperson, Manuel Bonder.
Bonder went on to say that anyone who wants to play political parlor games is welcome to do so and enjoy themselves.
A couple other reported contenders firmly denied that they were thinking of running against Shapiro in 2026.
Mike Turzai (R., Allegheny), a former speaker of the Pennsylvania House who left the state House in 2020 and had previously contemplated a run for governor, stated that he is not considering a run this time and that he enjoys his position as general counsel to Pittsburgh-based utility business Peoples Natural Gas.
Some state Republicans were also interested in seeing Dave Sunday, the Republican attorney general-elect who won the influential post in last month’s election, run. However, he declared that he will not be pursuing a gubernatorial bid for another two years after being elected to the statewide row post. (He stated during his AG campaign that he was not interested in pursuing a position higher than attorney general at this time.)
“That’s not happening,” he declared outside the annual luncheon of the Pennsylvania Manufacturer’s Association on Sunday.
Two 2022 gubernatorial candidates, State Senator Scott Martin, R. of Lancaster County, and Dave White, a former union pipefitter and member of the Delaware County Council, have also been mentioned as possible contenders. Another potential candidate is Cumberland County State Senator Greg Rothman, R.
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