Republican gubernatorial candidate Stacey Garrity took the stage at Stone Hedge Golf Course in Wyoming County a little before 9 p.m. to congratulate Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro on his “hard-fought victory.”
Shapiro easily beat Garrity, with the Associated Press calling the race for Shapiro at 8:01 p.m., just one minute after the polls closed.
The result was predicted leading up to the race, with early polling heavily favoring Shapiro while Garrity faced issues of name recognition, lackluster funding, and low GOP support.
“Tonight, I wish the governor and his team my sincere best, as we all should, you guys, because his success is our success,” Garrity said.
Says Shapiro 'more interested in Pennsylvania Avenue'
Garrity added that she is proud of the campaign she and her team ran and hopes it’s a “reminder to him that Pennsylvania doesn't just deserve but needs a full-time chief executive.”
After the speech, Garrity further explained the comment, saying, “We all know the governor is more interested in Pennsylvania Avenue than sometimes focusing on Pennsylvania families.”
It was a reference to Shapiro's much discussed — but unconfirmed — White House aspirations.
Garrity, a retired U.S. Army Reserve Colonel and the state’s Treasurer since 2021, was named the GOP candidate early in the race. That set the stage for Tuesday night's election against Shapiro, Pennsylvania’s 48th governor since 2023. Before that, he served as the state’s Attorney General.
But despite support from some Republican donors, Shapiro’s backers outpaced Garrity’s campaign.
Despite the results, Garrity stressed that she was proud of the campaign. Her supporters in the crowd shared the sentiment.
She spent much of her approximately nine-minute speech thanking her family, voters, staff, volunteers, and the about 100 people who gathered at the election night party in Tunkhannock.
“Meeting so many of you, working alongside you, and hearing your stories only validated our faith in what Pennsylvania can and should be,” Garritty said.
Supporters weigh in
“It was an uphill battle, and it’s a shame, but she made a good campaign,” said Tony Spack, a 57-year-old Carlisle resident.
Dakota Haffner and Andrew Spernkle, both 18-year-old residents from York County who drove to the event after working the polls, said that they thought Garrity did a good job no matter the results.
“The money came from the people,” Spernkle said.
Garrity later told the media that she “never relied on anyone else” in her life after being asked about GOP support, admitting that, of course, she wished more resources had come, but “any campaign is going to with that.”
The results were “not necessarily” a surprise, Garrity said, recognizing Shapiro’s name recognition as a hurdle she faced.
Garrity closed her speech to her supporters by stating that the state could be a leader in the nation again.
“Tonight’s results don’t change that,” Garrity said. “They make our responsibilities to hold our leaders to those standards more important.”