Pennsylvania is “at a crossroads,” and change is needed to move it in the right direction, Republican state Treasurer Stacy Garrity said during a swing through the Lehigh Valley on Tuesday for a stop in her campaign for governor.
Garrity sat for an interview with Rabbi Moshe Kurtz for his “As I Walk through the Valley” podcast in front of a public live audience at the Congregation Sons of Israel synagogue in Allentown.
Garrity’s appearance in Allentown comes as polls show Democratic incumbent Josh Shapiro is heavily favored to win the general election.
According to the New York Times, most political polls favor him over Garrity by between 16 to 22 points. Shapiro also maintains a relatively strong approval rating in the Commonwealth, with 62% of Pennsylvanians approving of his performance as governor, per a February Morning Consult poll.
But Garrity made the case that change is needed in Pennsylvania, citing statistics like low levels of student academic achievement and the state’s budget deficit: The Commonwealth relied on surplus funds to balance the 2025-26 state budget because its spending outpaces its revenue by billions.
“The reason I’m running, first, is because Pennsylvania is at a crossroads, and we have to decide the kind of state that we want to be,” Garrity said.
Rabbi Moshe Kurtz interviews state treasurer and Republican gubernatorial candidate Stacy Garrity for Kurtz’s “As I Walk Through the Valley” podcast Tuesday, May 12, 2026, at Congregation Sons of Israel synagogue in Allentown. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
As governor, Garrity said she would implement “school choice” vouchers which allows public funds to go toward private and charter schools; fast track permitting for natural gas and pipeline production and roll back some government regulation of businesses and development.
Garrity is a U.S. Army Reserves veteran who was deployed three times before reaching her mandatory retirement date in 2017 after 30 years of service. She served as a military police officer and reached the rank of colonel.
She also worked for Global Tungsten & Powders Corp. for over 30 years, rising to vice president before running successfully for state treasurer in 2020, upsetting Democratic incumbent Joe Torsella. She won re-election in 2024, and announced her intent to run for governor last year.
Garrity has touted an endorsement from Trump and aligned herself closely with the 47th president, featuring a photo of herself and Trump prominently on her campaign website.
She made headlines this week for vowing to veto a bill legalizing marijuana statewide if it were to come before her desk as governor. She doubled down on her stance Tuesday, saying that marijuana is a “gateway drug” and she believes legalizing it is not the solution to the government’s budget issues.
“I think as far as the marijuana goes, nobody wants our kids to have access to marijuana,” Garrity said. “I mean, their brains aren’t fully formulated and it is a gateway drug. I think there’s other ways to address the revenue problem.”
Shapiro is in favor of legalizing marijuana in Pennsylvania.
Kurtz said that he has reached out to the governor’s Lehigh Valley office to invite him on the podcast.
Asked for comment on Garrity’s visit, Shapiro’s campaign spokesperson Sam Reposa said that Shapiro is focused on supporting down-ballot Democrats in the May 19 primary election, including congressional candidate Bob Brooks, who is vying for the Democratic nomination in the Lehigh Valley’s 7th District. Both Shapiro and Garrity are unopposed in their party’s primaries.
Shapiro most recently made a public appearance in the Lehigh Valley in January to announce plans for a $3.5 billion state investment into an Eli Lilly Manufacturing facility in Upper Macungie, which is expected to bring over 800 jobs to the region.
Pennsylvania’s primary election is May 19 and the general election is Nov 3.
Reporter Lindsay Weber can be reached at Liweber@mcall.com.