Pennsylvania's two gubernatorial campaigns touched down in Luzerne County less than 24 hours apart to make their cases before Northeast Pennsylvania audiences and stump for members of their respective parties.
Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro and Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, whose ticket seeks reelection this cycle, rallied voters at Luzerne County Community College in Nanticoke Wednesday evening.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Stacy Garrity kicked off her Turnaround PA tour in Luzerne Borough Thursday morning, speaking to patrons at Tammy’s Kitchen during the breakfast rush.
Both candidates and their campaigns are crossing the state in these final few days before the election to reach as many voters as possible.
The race
Shapiro has served as Pennsylvania’s 48th governor since 2023. Before that, he served as the state’s Attorney General.
Garrity, a retired U.S. Army Reserve Colonel, has been the state’s Treasurer since 2021. She deployed to the Middle East three times, the last in 2008, and received several military awards, including two Bronze Stars for exceptional service.
According to an October poll from Franklin & Marshall College’s Center for Opinion Research, Shapiro leads Garrity 59% to 36%.
Shapiro in Nanticoke
Supporters gathered in LCCC’s gym in Nanticoke Wednesday night for a stop on the Shapiro-Davis campaign’s 10-day, 29-county pre-election bus tour.
Audience members included former Democratic U.S. Reps. Matt Cartwright, who formerly represented Pennsylvania’s 8th congressional district, and Paul Kanjorski, who served in Congress from 1985-2011.
“Luzerne County, are you fired up? Are you ready to reelect Josh Shapiro and I? Are you ready to put a check on Donald Trump's chaos, cruelty, and corruption? And are you ready to finally get a Democratic trifecta in Harrisburg,” shouted Davis in greeting to the crowd after being introduced by former U.S. Sen. Bob Casey.
Audience members excitedly waved Shapiro-Davis signs that said “GSD [Get Stuff Done]” on the back.
“The contrast in our governor's race could not be clearer. Josh Shapiro and I are running to move Pennsylvania forward to stand up for working families. Stacey Garrity is running to do Donald Trump's bidding and bring his chaos to Pennsylvania,” Davis said.
Shapiro’s speech sharply contrasted what he called the “chaos” of President Donald Trump's administration — including the war in Iran, the measles outbreak that Pennsylvania has been the epicenter of and the ramifications of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act on health care and food assistance — with his own leadership in Pennsylvania.
“That chaos has cost us. And so has their cruelty,” Shapiro said.
He encouraged voters of any party to support his administration at the polls this Election Day.
“Now is the time to build a big, bold, broad coalition to elevate the people who are going to be a check on Donald Trump, who are going to stop the chaos and the cruelty and the corruption. Now's the time to elevate the people who are going to help me govern in Harrisburg … and deliver a trifecta for Democrats here in our state capital,” he said.
Shapiro said in the case of a trifecta, the first bill he’d sign into law would raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour. He said other legislative priorities in the first days of a trifecta state government would be codifying abortion rights into law and protecting unions against right-to-work laws.
Garrity in Luzerne
On Thursday morning in Luzerne, the Garrity campaign launched its Turnaround PA tour, for four days of nonstop campaigning and meeting with voters across the state. Garrity spoke with customers in Tammy’s diner as they ate their eggs and pancakes, asking about their concerns and if she could count on their votes come Tuesday.
She hopped between booths and tables, greeting both supporters who showed up to see her and people who were just there to eat breakfast.
“Good morning Stacy,” one patron said enthusiastically before going in for a hug.
“Nice to see you,” she responded.
“There's a lot of energy on the ground. I mean, you can feel the shift, particularly after the debate. And these counties, they're fired up and they're ready for change. And that’s what we're hearing. Doesn't matter where I go, Pennsylvanians are ready for change,” Garrity said.
She said it was important to start and end her pre-election blitz in Northeast Pennsylvania, as she is originally from Bradford County. She’ll return to the region for her Election Night party.
Garrity’s tour concludes Sunday and includes 14 stops.
“We're meeting as many people as we possibly can to give them our positive message about what Pennsylvania can be, and that we can be so much more. It doesn't have to be. We don't have to be mediocre. We don't have to trail in every single metric. We can be leading the nation,” Garrity said.
She said her first days in office would be focused on her campaign’s plan to lower electric bills by 20% as well as a moratorium on the gas and diesel taxes.
Sandy Lewis, a Swoyersville resident, came out to support the candidate.
“I wanted to come and just support her, show her that you know we're really looking forward to her being our next governor,” Lewis said.
Lewis said she’s unhappy with Shapiro’s policies and that the gubernatorial debate solidified her decision to vote for Garrity.
“I'm impressed that she's a veteran. I'm impressed of her views. She's very intelligent when it comes to the fact that she is the treasurer. She knows a lot about numbers, and she really has educated me definitely through the debate,” she said.
Supporting their parties up and down the ballot
Shapiro and Garrity were joined by candidates for other offices, from Congress to state legislature, at their events.
Shapiro stumped for Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti, who is the Democratic candidate for Pennsylvania’s 8th congressional district running against Republican Congressman Rob Bresnahan.
“You not only have a great person you can vote for for Congress, but you get a twofer here. You put her in Congress, and you also quite literally change the balance of power in Washington, D.C. It's an extraordinary power you have, and I would argue it's not just a power that you have to elect Paige Cognetti, it's also a responsibility you have,” Shapiro said as the audience lifted Congetti campaign signs and cheered.
Cognetti cited her three winning campaigns for Scranton mayor and said she’ll take that momentum with her to Congress.
“Every single person in America deserves to have health care, to have a great public education, to have housing they can afford, to have a secure retirement, and an opportunity to be able to join a union,” Cognetti said.
Shapiro, Davis and Cognetti mingled with supporters in the crowd after the rally, taking photos and thanking them for their support.
In Luzerne, state Sen. Lisa Baker and Republican state House candidate John Lombardo joined Garrity for the breakfast visit.
Several diners also discussed their support for Bresnahan’s campaign.
The Republican Party of Luzerne County will host a watch party for tonight’s congressional debate in support of Bresnahan at the organization’s headquarters in Exeter.
“I'm going to the watch party tonight for Rob Bresnahan, and I support him totally,” Lewis said.
