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Several incumbent Republicans<\/a> engaged in tight races in Pennsylvania have featured popular Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro<\/a> in their advertisements or messaging as they face their toughest challenges amid an election cycle projected to be unfavorable to the GOP. <\/p>\n When engaged in a high-stakes, competitive campaign, downballot political candidates frequently align themselves with someone at the top of the ticket for an extra boost. <\/p>\n It\u2019s just rare nowadays for contenders to associate themselves with someone who happens to be of the opposite political party. <\/p>\n But a lot is at stake for both parties in Pennsylvania\u2019s midterm elections next month \u2014 control of the state Senate, with the possibility of the first Democratic trifecta since 1993<\/a>, and the battle for the majority in the U.S. House. <\/p>\n Shapiro, who is also running for a second term against Republican Treasurer Stacy Garrity<\/a>, has been spending most of his time and political capital campaigning for Democrats<\/a> in competitive state House and Senate races and in four key congressional districts, including in Bucks County<\/a> \u2014 home to some of the most closely watched races next month<\/a>. <\/p>\n Here\u2019s what to know about the ads featuring Shapiro and what they could mean for the midterms.<\/p>\n Ads could be \u2018quite telling\u2019 about the Pa. midterms<\/p>\n Republican State Sen. Frank Farry, who is seeking reelection in Bucks County\u2019s 6th State Senate District<\/a>, has produced numerous ads featuring Shapiro in his campaign against Democratic challenger Eileen Hartnett Albillar, whom Shapiro has endorsed and campaigned for. The ads include images of Farry standing side by side with Shapiro on a SEPTA<\/a> platform, another that highlights his support<\/a> for the governor\u2019s data center regulation plan, and a clip<\/a> from the Democrat\u2019s speech on a bipartisan budget.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve spent my whole life serving this community,\u201d Farry said in a recent television ad. \u201cAs a senator, I\u2019ve worked with both parties to make life more affordable, including working with Governor Shapiro to cut taxes seven times.\u201d<\/p>\n Farry and the governor have not always been on the same side on policy. For example, though they both supported increasing funding for SEPTA, Shapiro and Farry disagreed on how to do it. (Although Shapiro ultimately used Farry\u2019s ideas to fund it for two years<\/a>.)<\/p>\n Most of the ads that include the governor are aimed at emphasizing the Republican\u2019s ability to work across the aisle \u2014 a trait Shapiro has also emphasized in his own work, and one that may be key to winning over Bucks County, a suburb known for its split-ticket voting. <\/p>\n \u201cIt would be almost impossible in some of these districts for Republicans to survive if they don\u2019t have some ballots that include Josh Shapiro and the Republican on the ballot,\u201d said Chris Borick, a political science professor at Lehigh University and director of its opinion observatory. <\/p>\n For instance, in his 2022 gubernatorial run, Shapiro won the county by roughly 20 percentage points<\/a> and GOP U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick<\/a> also won reelection to represent the Bucks-based 1st Congressional District. Fitzpatrick, who is now in the toughest reelection cycle of his career against Shapiro-endorsed Democratic challenger Bob Harvie<\/a>, said earlier this year<\/a> that the governor would win reelection and should run for president in 2028.<\/p>\n Ed Molloy, Farry\u2019s campaign manager, said in a statement that the Republican \u201cworks with both parties and is proud to have gotten things done with Governor Shapiro,\u201d especially on affordability measures. <\/p>\n \u201cSenator Farry has been the most independent senator in Harrisburg because he always puts his community first,\u201d Molloy said.<\/p>\n Shapiro, during one of his trips to Bucks County earlier this month<\/a>, said Farry had also put the governor in a mailer and it \u201ctells you a little something about how they see this race.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI want to state very, very, very clear,\u201d Shapiro said. \u201cDespite their cynical efforts to try and hug me, I ain\u2019t hugging him back.\u201d<\/p>\n Manuel Bonder, a spokesperson for the Shapiro campaign, said \u201capparently even Republican candidates would rather run on Governor Shapiro\u2019s record than Stacy Garrity\u2019s\u201d and pledged to continue campaigning for Democrats. <\/p>\n Though Garrity is absent from these ads and consistently behind in the polls, the GOP is continuing to welcome her on the campaign trail, including at events<\/a> last week with Republican U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick<\/a>, Farry, and the Bucks County Republican Committee.<\/p>\n Matt Benyon, a spokesperson for the Garrity campaign, said in a statement that the treasurer is \u201cgrateful for the support her campaign has received from fellow Republicans up and down the ballot throughout her campaign.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe looks forward to campaigning alongside them in the final two-plus weeks, holding Josh Shapiro accountable,\u201d Benyon said.<\/p>\n Other GOP candidates also focused on collaborating with Shapiro, include State Rep. Joe Hogan (R., Bucks), who mentions working with Democrats, Republicans, and Shapiro \u201cto be a champion for our public schools\u201d on his campaign website. A narrator in an ad for State Rep. Craig Williams (R., Delaware) said the lawmaker \u201cworks with whoever it takes,\u201d including Shapiro. <\/p>\n State Rep. K.C. Tomlinson (R., Bucks), running against Democratic challenger Bryan Allen, posted a video to her Facebook page<\/a> of Shapiro at a school visit, chatting with a student about working across party lines with Tomlinson.<\/p>\n \u201cThey say, like, Republicans and Democrats are never supposed to agree on anything,\u201d Shapiro can be seen telling a student in the ad. \u201cWell, we actually agree that making sure kids have breakfast at school is really important, and that our schools have what they need is really important. So we may not agree on everything, but we actually find ways to agree and to talk to each other.\u201d<\/p>\n Borick said the embrace of Shapiro is \u201cquite telling.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s far rarer to see in a year when there\u2019s a competitive election and their party has someone on the ballot to be highlighting the opposition party,\u201d Borick said.<\/p>\n The Tomlinson, Hogan, and Williams campaigns did not respond to a request for comment. <\/p>\n \u2018Sad that it\u2019s even a question\u2019<\/p>\n Working across the aisle is also a message GOP State Rep. Valerie Gaydos is trying to showcase to voters on the other side of the Keystone State in the Pittsburgh suburbs. <\/p>\n \u201cI work with everyone, Democrats, Republicans, and Governor Shapiro, to get results,\u201d she said in an ad<\/a> where she can be seen shaking hands with the Democrat. <\/p>\n