Governor Shapiro will not endorse Erin McClelland in the Pennsylvania treasurer race

Gov. Josh Shapiro will not support Democratic candidate Erin McClelland for treasurer.

The political outsider made waves over the summer when she criticized Shapiro when he was being considered for vice presidential running mate Kamala Harris.

Shapiro, a Democrat, has decided not to endorse either candidate in the treasurer’s race, a spokesman said in a statement, a notable break with political tradition. However, he is endorsing two other Democratic candidates: Eugene DePasquale for attorney general and state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta (R-Philadelphia) for auditor general.

Shapiro’s decision to stay out of the treasurer’s race is the latest blow to McClelland’s long-range campaign to unseat incumbent Republican Treasurer Stacy Garrity, after Garrity gained the support of key trade unions that tend to support Democrats, including the Philadelphia Building Trades Board and Pennsylvania Drivers Conference.

McClelland was the upset winner of the April primary, defeating the party’s endorsed candidate, state Rep. Ryan Bizzarro (R-Erie). However, since winning the party’s nomination, she has had little support from the party, as evidenced by her minimal fundraising since the primary. According to campaign finance reports released last week, McClelland raised just over $148,000 — including a $100,000 loan from McClelland for her own campaign — compared to Garrity’s nearly $1.2 million war chest.

McClelland drew the ire of Pennsylvania Democrats when she publicly criticized Shapiro in July during heated debates as the nation’s eyes were on the governor, who has emerged as a leading candidate to join Harris on the ticket. Instead, McClelland, a political outsider, advocated for Harris to choose North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper as her running mate over him.

“I want to elect a vice president who will be confident enough to be second to a woman, who will be happy to be vice president and who will not undermine the president in maneuvering his own elections, and who will not sweep sexual harassment under the rug.” McClelland wrote on X in July, echoing last year’s sexual harassment scandal in Shapiro’s office.

Shapiro’s top legislative liaison was accused of sexual harassment, and the governor’s office quietly reached a $295,000 settlement with the accuser. The documents show that the liaison, Mike Vereb, resigned only months after filing an internal complaint, and Shapiro was criticized for his administration’s handling of the scandal.

Although Shapiro never responded to McClelland’s comments, Sen. Sharif Street (D., Philadelphia), chairman of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, said her post offended him then and that was it he planned to discuss it with her privately.

“Every day when [Shapiro] gets up, talks to Madame Speaker and Madame Pro Temp[ore]” Street said, referring to the titles of House Speaker Joanna McClinton (D., Philadelphia) and Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward (R., Westmoreland), the two most senior officials in their chambers. “Gub. Shapiro has demonstrated an effective ability to work with them, and I find any suggestion to the contrary deeply offensive.”

The Treasurer’s Office is Pennsylvania’s primary fiscal regulator and is responsible for saving, investing and disbursing $150 billion in state funds. It is one of three independent rank-and-file offices in Pennsylvania, all of which are politically elected and perform primarily administrative functions.

Traditionally, party officials will support their favorite candidate in the primary election, but they will support their party’s candidate no matter who it is. But Shapiro, the state’s top Democrat, chose to stay out of the race, using his political capital to influence further races to defeat the House of Representatives elections, as well as his support for Kenyatta and DePasquale.

“Governor Shapiro is endorsing and campaigning for candidates who made it across the ballot, who have asked for his support, and where he can have the most influence in electing candidates who will work on behalf of Pennsylvanians,” said Manuel Bonder, spokesman Shapiro.

Shapiro’s lack of involvement in the race gave Garrity a chance to say he supported her instead.

Last week at a Republican candidate forum at a West Chester retirement community, Garrity told the audience that in addition to the union support she had received, Shapiro had told her on the phone that he “supported” her. This was a reference to a phone call between Shapiro and Garrity about planning a joint government event, during which Garrity said Shapiro told her that while they disagreed on policy issues, he thought she did a good job as treasurer.

McClelland’s campaign declined to comment on Shapiro’s exclusion from the race, but Garrity “continues to say all the untrue things she thinks voters want to hear, like that Donald Trump won Pennsylvania in 2020.”

“Stacy Garrity should show voters the respect they deserve and stop refusing to debate Erin McClelland in order to defend her record so that all voters can make an informed decision in this race,” McClelland’s campaign manager, Chuck Pascal, said in a statement.

Garrity has so far declined to debate McClelland ahead of the November 5 election.