NEW YORK – After the Republican Party’s significant victories in Pennsylvania last month, several potential candidates are lining up to challenge Gov. Josh Shapiro in 2026.
Shapiro, 51, is a Democrat elected to his first term and enjoys extremely high popularity. He remained largely uncontested in the 2022 gubernatorial election after clearing the Democratic field in the primary and establishment Republicans failing to block state Sen. Doug Mastriano’s (R., Franklin) primary from winning the GOP primary. Shapiro defeated Mastriano by 15 percentage points, never participating in a debate during the election cycle.
U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, 60, a Republican who has represented parts of northeastern Pennsylvania in the House of Representatives since 2019, said he is considering running for governor but has not yet made up his mind. Meuser previously served as revenue secretary under former Gov. Tom Corbett, was the former president of wheelchair maker Pride Mobility Products and remained a staunch supporter of President-elect Donald Trump over the years.
“I am doing my due diligence and have received some incentives,” Meuser said.
Another potential candidate some Republicans are interested in running is Treasurer Stacy Garrity, 60, who overwhelmingly won re-election to a second term last month. Garrity, a former U.S. Army Reserve colonel who received two Bronze Star medals for her work in war zones in the Middle East, recently broke Shapiro’s record by receiving the most votes for statewide office in Pennsylvania history.
But when asked if she was considering running away and what she thought about the encouragement from her peers, she declined to say whether she planned to throw her hat into the ring.
“I’m really honored that they think of me,” Garrity said. “But you know, we just keep winning. We did a lot in the first term. We’ve basically broken every record at Treasury, but there’s still a lot of work to be done. So right now I’m really just focusing on my job as treasurer.”
Many Pennsylvania Republicans, gathered at events around Midtown Manhattan for their annual fancy getaway to New York, had a similar desire to challenge Shapiro more seriously in the midterm elections. Shapiro has long been rumored to have presidential ambitions and remains a leading figure in the 2028 presidential field. Experts say how well he does in his re-election bid will determine whether he runs.
Manuel Bonder, Shapiro’s spokesman, said in a statement that Shapiro is focused on the job he was elected to do.
“Anyone who is interested in political parlor games can have fun with this,” Bonder added.
Several other rumored potential candidates answered emphatically “no” and said they would not consider running against Shapiro in 2026.
Former Pennsylvania House Speaker Mike Turzai (R., Allegheny), who left the House of Representatives in 2020. he was already considering running for governorsaid he is not considering running this time and likes his job as general counsel for Peoples Natural Gas, a Pittsburgh-based utility.
Dave Sunday, the Republican attorney general-elect who won the powerful post in last month’s election, was also a potential candidate that some state Republicans were interested in running. However, after the recent statewide election to a government office, he said he would not run for governor for two years. (During his campaign for AG, he said he did not currently want to hold any higher position than attorney general.)
“It’s not happening,” Sunday said before the Pennsylvania Manufacturers Association’s annual luncheon.
Two 2022 gubernatorial candidates were also mentioned among potential candidates – Dave White, a former union pipefitter and Delaware County Council member, and state Sen. Scott Martin (R-Lancaster). State Sen. Greg Rothman (R., Cumberland) has also been mentioned as a potential candidate.
Staff writer Katie Bernard contributed to this article.
