HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) — Stacy Garrity is the likely Republican Party candidate for governor, and there’s no doubt who she’s targeting less than 11 months away from Election Day.
“Josh Shapiro’s failures have driven us into mediocrity,” Garrity said. “I don’t accept mediocrity.”
She’s the current state treasurer and, despite being elected twice to a statewide office, many voters are asking who she is. Appearances like the one she made Monday at a Pennsylvania Press Club luncheon, no doubt, help.
At the event, she worked on her message that Pennsylvania can be doing better than it is under the Shapiro administration. The economy, infrastructure, and education all need a boost, she said, citing the state ranking 39th in education nationally but ninth in spending per student.
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Like many Republicans, she champions school vouchers. So did Shapiro, she argued, until he didn’t.
“Josh Shapiro has held not one, not two, but three positions on school choice,” Garrity said. “I hold one position that parents, not bureaucrats, make the best decisions for their child’s future.”
Garrity didn’t deny election denial after the 2020 election. Instead, she suggested it was a whimsical comment to the president.
“That was at a Trump rally, and it’s, you know, those are kind of fun things,” Garrity said. “So, it’s easy to get caught up in a Trump rally.”
The Pennsylvania Democratic Party seized on Garrity’s comments, releasing a statement calling her “Gaffe-ing Garrity” and saying she “has still never publicly said out loud that Donald Trump did not win Pennsylvania nor did he win the 2020 election.”
“Garrity made it clear Pennsylvanians cannot trust her to do what’s right for working families,” the state party added.
But Garrity pledged more cooperation with the Trump administration on SNAP benefits and voter roll inspections. Shapiro has sued to block efforts by Trump to withhold funding for the food-assistance program and resisted releasing voter rolls to the Department of Justice.
“It’s very interesting to me that all of the red states have provided the voter rolls and all of the blue states have not, and so I just have to ask myself, what is the reason for that?” Garrity said.
Past Republicans have been tripped up on a tougher topic for conservatives: Abortion.
“I am pro-life, but I am for exceptions,” Garrity said. “Now, the only extreme position is my opponent, who believes that you should be able to have an abortion for any reason, at any time, using your taxpayer dollars.”
Democratic analyst Danielle Gross gave Garrity’s speech a C-minus, adding she needs some improvement as she continues to hit the campaign trail.
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“When Josh Shapiro had four years in government under his belt, he had a lot more polish and poise, even at a much lower level than she has,” Gross said.
But Garrity promised she would serve a full term if elected.
“You might want to ask my opponent the same,” she said.
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