{"id":317667,"date":"2026-10-30T15:18:18","date_gmt":"2026-10-30T15:18:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/317667\/"},"modified":"2026-10-30T15:18:18","modified_gmt":"2026-10-30T15:18:18","slug":"pennsylvania-midterms-candidate-profiles-ad-watches-final-days-of-the-campaign","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/317667\/","title":{"rendered":"Pennsylvania midterms: Candidate profiles, Ad Watches, final days of the campaign"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Lori<\/a>\"Jere<\/a>HARRISBURG, Pa. \u2014<\/p>\n

Pennsylvania voters go to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 3. The governor’s office, every state House seat and half of the state Senate are on the ballot, along with several closely watched congressional races in the Susquehanna Valley.<\/p>\n

WGAL News 8 has spent months covering these races. We profiled the candidates, hosted debates, fact-checked campaign ads and explained how to make sure your vote counts. This guide brings that coverage together in one place.<\/p>\n

To find your polling location, review mail-in ballot rules, see sample ballots, and much more, start with our Pennsylvania midterms voter guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Race for GovernorShapiro vs. Garrity\"\"\"\"<\/p>\n

Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro is seeking a second term. His Republican challenger is state Treasurer Stacy Garrity, a retired U.S. Army Reserve colonel. Libertarian Ken Krawchuk is also on the ballot.<\/p>\n

Meet the candidates:<\/p>\n

Garrity’s pitch: budgets, gas taxes and data centers<\/p>\n

In a sit-down interview with WGAL<\/a>, Garrity criticized Shapiro over four late state budgets. She said she would take a more active role in budget talks and look for 3% to 5% in savings across state agencies.<\/p>\n

She opposes using the state’s Rainy Day Fund to cover budget gaps. However, she said she would use it to suspend the gas and diesel taxes for a few months. “Prices are high, and families are hurting,” she said.<\/p>\n

Garrity also called for a pause on data center development and said local communities should decide where the facilities go. WGAL also reported that campaign finance records showed her campaign received $600,000 from a trade group that represents skill game operators.<\/p>\n

In the campaign’s final week, Garrity took her message to Reading<\/a>. She focused on expanding natural gas production, cutting property taxes and pausing data center projects.<\/p>\n

Shapiro’s closing argument<\/p>\n

Shapiro rallied Democrats in Camp Hill<\/a> during a bus tour. He campaigned alongside congressional candidate Janelle Stelson and state Senate candidate Nathan Wood.<\/p>\n

He promised that if Democrats win the state Senate, “the first bill that will be on my desk in January of 2027 will be to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour.” Shapiro has given more than $10 million to down-ballot candidates this election cycle.<\/p>\n

Lieutenant governor: a bigger role than some think<\/p>\n

The lieutenant governor presides over the state Senate. As WGAL reported<\/a>, that role could matter a lot next year. Republicans hold a 27-23 majority in the Senate, and the lieutenant governor can break some tie votes.<\/p>\n

Austin Davis (D), the incumbent, is Shapiro’s running mate. Profile<\/a>Jason Richey (R) is an energy industry lawyer and former Allegheny County GOP chairman running with Garrity. Profile<\/a><\/p>\n

Davis has already cast his mail-in ballot<\/a> and is urging voters to “make a plan to vote.”<\/p>\n

Congressional Races10th District: Perry vs. Stelson, the rematch\"\"\"\"<\/p>\n

This is one of the most closely watched House races in the country. Republican Rep. Scott Perry faces Democrat Janelle Stelson for the second election in a row.<\/p>\n

The debate: The two clashed sharply<\/a> over housing costs, tariffs and the war with Iran. Stelson accused Perry of voting for the war six times. Perry argued that Iran had declared war on the United States.<\/p>\n

The final stretch: House Speaker Mike Johnson campaigned with Perry<\/a> at a “Patriots for Perry” rally in Linglestown. A recent New York Times\/Siena poll showed the candidates tied at 48%. Johnson told supporters not to trust the polls.<\/p>\n

Ad Watch: WGAL checked a Stelson ad<\/a> claiming Perry wants to cut Social Security and raise the retirement age to 69. The quote came from Perry’s campaign website, but from 2016. His campaign would not say whether he still holds that position.<\/p>\n

Political ad: Scott Perry’s campaign released an attack ad accusing Janelle Stelson of exposing herself naked to neighbors, but Stelson’s campaign says the allegations are false and fabricated<\/a>.<\/p>\n

11th District: Smucker vs. Mannion\"\"\"\"<\/p>\n

Republican Rep. Lloyd Smucker and Democratic challenger Nancy Mannion debated in Lancaster<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Smucker focused on the $40 trillion national debt and his work on the child tax credit.Mannion criticized tariffs and the war in Iran for raising fuel and fertilizer prices, and called for a national health care program.Both said they support protecting Social Security.<\/p>\n

Learn more: Smucker profile<\/a> | Smucker on the issues<\/a> | Mannion profile<\/a> | Mannion on the issues<\/a><\/p>\n

9th and 13th DistrictsState Senate: The Fight for Control<\/p>\n

Democrats control the state House and want to win the Senate too. Several Susquehanna Valley seats could decide which party controls the chamber.<\/p>\n

36th District (Lancaster County): Malone vs. Jones\"\"\"\"<\/p>\n

Democratic Sen. James Malone won this seat in a 2025 special election. Republican state Rep. Tom Jones is trying to take it back. The race could help decide who controls the State Senate<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Both candidates support a temporary gas tax holiday. Malone said lawmakers should vote on it as a stand-alone bill. Jones said the state also needs long-term fixes, such as producing more energy in the U.S. The two disagreed about what Democratic control of the Senate would mean. Malone said it would end gridlock and let House-passed bills get a vote. Jones warned it could bring higher taxes and more regulation. <\/p>\n

Despite the negative ads in this race, the two were cordial on stage. Read the full debate transcript<\/a>, which also covers data centers, grocery prices, the measles outbreak and the library tax.<\/p>\n

Ad Watch: WGAL examined a Jones ad<\/a> saying Malone “voted against stopping data centers.” Records confirm that Malone voted against a proposed three-year statewide moratorium in a Senate committee. However, that moratorium would have barred local governments from approving data centers even if a community wanted one. WGAL found the ad’s claim that Malone “voted against local control” misleading. Both candidates voted for House Bill 2496, which would let towns pause data center development for up to 180 days.<\/p>\n

Learn more: Malone profile<\/a> | Malone’s priorities<\/a> | Jones profile<\/a> | Jones’ priorities<\/a><\/p>\n

34th District (Perry, Cumberland and Dauphin counties): Rothman vs. Wood\"\"\"\"<\/p>\n

Republican Sen. Greg Rothman faces Democrat Nathan Wood, who used to work in Rothman’s district office. The debate<\/a> got somewhat personal at the end. Wood accused Rothman of selling out the community to data centers. Rothman called some of Wood’s claims “ridiculous” and pointed to 16 bills of his that have become law. <\/p>\n

Both men supported limiting students’ cellphone use during the school day.<\/p>\n

30th District (Blair, Fulton, Huntingdon, Juniata and Mifflin counties)\"\"\"\"Judy Ward (R), the incumbent and a former nurse, chairs the Senate Transportation Committee. She focuses on energy production, lowering health care costs, school-choice scholarships and voter ID. Profile and issues<\/a>Sean Steeg (D), co-founder of Juniata Brewing Company, supports raising the minimum wage, more public school funding, legalizing adult-use marijuana and adding mental health professionals to emergency response. Profile and issues<\/a>48th District (Lebanon County and parts of Berks and Lancaster)\"\"\"\"Chris Gebhard (R) has held the seat since a 2021 special election. He chairs the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee. Profile<\/a> | Where he stands<\/a>Wayne Moyer (D) made the ballot with write-in votes in the May primary. He hopes to become the district’s first Democratic senator. Profile<\/a> | Where he stands<\/a>State House Races<\/p>\n

Every state House seat is on the ballot. WGAL’s Commitment 2026 debate series<\/a> featured two local races.<\/p>\n

91st District (Adams County): Moul vs. Pratt\"\"\"\"<\/p>\n

Republican Rep. Dan Moul, a 20-year lawmaker, faces Democrat Kathleen Pratt, a business professor. On data centers, Moul said he takes “the middle of the road” but does not want them built on farmland. The debate<\/a> also covered gas prices, disaster aid for farmers hit by the freeze, construction delays at Conewago Township Elementary, state help for ICE and legalizing recreational marijuana.<\/p>\n

93rd District (York County): Jones vs. Barnes\"\"\"\"<\/p>\n

Republican Rep. Mike Jones faces Democrat Missy Barnes, a former teacher who now works as a Social Security disability attorney. They split on recreational marijuana. Barnes supports legalizing it for adults and taxing it. Jones said he wants to keep it away from kids and pointed to problems in cities that have legalized it. The debate<\/a> also covered mail-in voting, measles and universal health care.<\/p>\n

On the Ballot: Lancaster County Library Tax<\/p>\n

Lancaster County voters will decide on a 0.55-mill property tax increase<\/a> that would give public libraries a dedicated source of funding. That works out to $55 for every $100,000 of assessed value, or about $200 a year on a $350,000 home. Library leaders warn that if the measure fails, libraries could cut hours and programs or even close. Both 36th District Senate candidates said in their debate that they will vote no.<\/p>\n

Supervisors referendum<\/p>\n

Voters in Conewago Township, York County, will decide whether to expand their Board of Supervisors from three members to five. The question appears only on Conewago Township ballots. Under Pennsylvania’s Second Class Township Code, which governs the township, boards have three supervisors unless voters approve five. A “yes” vote adds two seats. A “no” vote keeps the board at three.<\/p>\n

If the measure passes, the two new seats would be filled in a future election. The current supervisors would keep their seats.<\/p>\n

Get the Facts: Ad Watch<\/p>\n

WGAL’s Ad Watch series<\/a> checks claims in political ads against the record:<\/p>\n

Shapiro ad on Garrity and data centers<\/a>: The ad’s claim that Garrity is “Pennsylvania’s number one fan of data centers” is opinion and can’t be fact-checked. Its clips of Garrity were used in context, but most date to 2025. The ad left out her comment that communities need to be engaged. Both candidates have changed their positions on data centers since then.Stelson ad on Perry and Social Security<\/a>: The quote came from Perry’s campaign website in 2016.Jones ad on Malone and data centers<\/a>: Found partly misleading (see the 36th District section above).Perry ad on Stelson’s health care and tax positions: Available on the Ad Watch page<\/a>.How to Make Sure Your Vote Counts<\/p>\n

Heading to the polls Tuesday? Our Pennsylvania voter guide<\/a> explains how to find your polling place, preview your ballot and see how your county’s voting machines work. If you still have your mail ballot, it’s too late to mail it. The guide shows where to drop it off in person before polls close at 8 p.m. It also covers what to do if you run into problems at the polls, including when and how to vote by provisional ballot. You’ll also find links to election offices in Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Mifflin, Perry and York counties. <\/p>\n

Stay With WGAL on Election Night<\/p>\n

Polls close at 8 p.m. Tuesday. WGAL News 8 will have live results and analysis from the governor’s race, the 10th District rematch, the fight for the state Senate and races across the Susquehanna Valley. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"HARRISBURG, Pa. \u2014 Pennsylvania voters go to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 3. The governor’s office, every state House…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":317668,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[129418,15815,14203,129415,15767,10093,129417,26647,67182,8254,15122,49672,48793,26642,15338,33,122066,2002,129416,26641,125683,31090,122465,28,30,29,6591,9728,121723,736,123174,26643,8060,40139,2483,2812],"class_list":["post-317667","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-pennsylvania","tag-ad-watch","tag-austin-davis","tag-ballot","tag-beth-farnham","tag-camp-hill","tag-campaign","tag-candidate-profile","tag-dan-meuser","tag-datum-center","tag-debate","tag-issue","tag-janelle-stelson","tag-jason-richey","tag-john-joyce","tag-jones","tag-josh-shapiro","tag-ken-krawchuk","tag-lancaster","tag-linglestown","tag-lloyd-smucker","tag-malone","tag-midterms","tag-nancy-mannion","tag-pennsylvania","tag-pennsylvania-headlines","tag-pennsylvania-news","tag-perry","tag-profile","tag-rachel-wallace","tag-reading","tag-rothman","tag-scott-perry","tag-stacy-garrity","tag-state-senate","tag-susquehanna-valley","tag-wgal"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/317667","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=317667"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/317667\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/317668"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=317667"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=317667"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=317667"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}