Shapiro, Garrity ramp up attacks with new campaign ads

Garrity's campaign is rolling out a serialized online video series targeting the governor, while Shapiro's latest TV ad ties the Republican nominee to President Trump.

• Haley O'Brien/WITF
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  Haley O'Brien joined WITF in 2026. A native of Scranton, she enjoys exploring Pennsylvania's diverse communities. Haley previously worked at NPR/PBS stations in Northeast Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley, and has won awards for video storytelling and beat reporting.

Pennsylvania’s candidates for governor are ramping up their campaigns with new advertising that attacks their opponents’ records – with one campaign taking an unconventional approach.  

The campaign of state Treasurer Stacy Garrity, the Republican nominee facing Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro, is releasing an online series suggesting that Shapiro is a corrupt politician. Meanwhile, Shapiro’s campaign is using traditional TV commercials to argue Garrity’s close ties to President Donald Trump would be harmful for Pennsylvanians. 

The Garrity for PA campaign’s “Twilight Justice” series will roll out several episodes through November with a storyline meant to persuade voters to vote against the incumbent.  The plot follows a young woman on a mission to research and “unmask the corrupt,” and her current target is Shapiro. 

Garrity’s political consultant John Brabender said the long-form videos are designed to keep viewers enthralled. 

“Campaigns are changing dramatically, it’s no longer just about who can buy the most 30-second commercials,” he said. “Our thinking was if we make it more like a Netflix series and less like a negative campaign ad and create intrigue and interest that more people will want to watch.“ 

Brabender is a longtime Republican political consultant whose firm produced media for Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign.

“As a form of political communication, it’s different,” said Matt Jordan, a professor of media studies at Penn State University. “Although it’s not unlike what’s been going on increasingly in the kind of red-pilled, right-wing media universe.” 

The first episode, filmed in Pittsburgh and released last week, introduces the main character and shows flashbacks from her past to reveal why she is dedicated to exposing corruption. 

The four-minute video teases that she will uncover information about Shapiro. There are references to real crimes and investigations, including the 2011 death of Ellen Greenberg that some believe was incorrectly ruled a suicide. Shapiro inherited the case as state Attorney General in 2017.  

The series is still in production and will be filmed all over the state. Brabender anticipates that more than 20 episodes will be released before the November election. He says short videos will hit Instagram, Meta and YouTube this week. 

Shapiro for Pennsylvania spokesperson Manuel Bonder dismissed the videos and said the treasurer’s agenda focuses on “raising costs, cutting healthcare, and hurting Pennsylvania families.” 

“It is no surprise to see a desperate, flailing campaign like Garrity’s callously pushing lies and politicizing a tragedy to try and deflect from her record,” Bonder said in a statement. “It’s no wonder this is the only thing Garrity’s failing campaign can resort to – but the people of Pennsylvania know better, and they know we cannot afford to have a weak Donald Trump loyalist as Governor.” 

The money gap 

Shapiro holds a significant advantage over Garrity in fundraising. The online series, Brabender said, is intended to compensate for that disadvantage.  

As of June, Shapiro, a likely 2028 presidential candidate, raised more than $18 million in 2026, and Garrity raised just under $2 million, according to campaign finance reports. 

“[Shapiro] raised particularly a lot of out of state money from places like New York, California, and others that we’re not going to be able to compete with,” Brabender said. “But we can compete, we think, with ingenuity and creativity in getting to voters.” 

Meanwhile, Shapiro’s ad says Garrity is “all MAGA all the time” and argues she would put Trump’s agenda ahead of Pennsylvania.  

The ad also features a clip of former Republican gubernatorial nominee state Sen. Doug Mastriano saying “I want her to win,” and notes that Garrity called Trump’s tariffs “fantastic.” 

“Stacy Garrity always sprints to any chance she gets to pledge her 100% loyalty to Donald Trump and his disastrous agenda — from standing on stage reciting his 2020 election lies to fundraising at Mar-a-Lago while Pennsylvania families pay more for everything,” said Ava Pitruzzello, spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Democratic Party. 

Garrity posted a video in the oval office with Trump this week, marking her third public endorsement from the president. 

“Pennsylvania is very lucky,” Trump said with Garrity standing beside him. “Because you have somebody running for Governor who is going to do a fantastic job.”