If two is a company and three is a crowd, what is seven?
Republicans have had so many gubernatorial debates State Treasurer Stacy Garrity he wants to have against the incumbent Democrat Governor Josh Shapiro during the 2026 election campaign
It would be the first time since 2018 that both candidates for Pennsylvania governor would meet to share their positions on the issue. Eight years ago, incumbent Governor Tom Wolf and GOP challenger Scott Wagner was debated during a dinner hosted by the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry it was moderated overdue Danger host Alex Trebek.
Last election cycle, Shapiro and the Republican candidate Doug Mastriano could not agree to the conditions regarding the debate format or moderator.
Garrity’s campaign took advantage of the opportunity the governor later gave it Spotlight PA published an article on the debates.
spokesman Shapiro Manuel Bonder said, “We look forward to engaging directly with the Garrity campaign in any good faith effort it makes to (schedule debates) and continue to clarify the choice in this election.”
“The Shapiro campaign says it wants to engage with our campaign in ‘good faith’ to ensure ‘the choice in this election is clear,'” Garrity said in a statement. “While Josh Shapiro and I disagree on many issues, we couldn’t agree more on this issue. Every voter should have the opportunity to know where we stand on issues, what our visions for the future of the Commonwealth are, and what experience we bring to leading 13 million Pennsylvanians over the next four years.”
Garrity’s campaign plan is to hold one debate in each of the Commonwealth’s seven media markets, including Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg-Lancaster-Lebanon-York, Johnstown-Altoona, Wilkes-Barre-Scranton, Erie and Binghamton, New York
“Pennsylvania is at a crossroads and, as I say in almost every speech, we have to decide what type of state we want to be,” Garrity said. “Public debates will give Pennsylvania voters the opportunity to make that decision with as much information as possible. That’s why I’m calling for seven debates, one in each Commonwealth media market. I look forward to Josh Shapiro’s response and hope he joins me in making his case to Pennsylvania voters.”
Shapiro hasn’t participated in a formal debate with another candidate for office since 2016, when then-Montgomery County Commissioner debated the Republican state Senator John Rafferty during his run for attorney general.
A look back at this debate provides some clues as to the tactics both candidates might adopt.
Rafferty criticized Shapiro for forgetting the position he was running for at the time, saying, “AG to me means attorney general, not aspiring governor. We all know he wants to be governor.”
The 53-year-old governor attacked the state senator, calling him “the captain of the far right (which) is leading the fight against a woman’s right to choose.”
Garrity has never debated a political opponent.
