Pa. Democrats kick off statewide tour tying Garrity to Trump

With Election Day less than three months away, both candidates for governor are ramping up their campaigns with strong messaging

• 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.

With less than three months until Election Day, Pennsylvania’s race for governor is entering its most intense stretch yet.  

On Tuesday, Pennsylvania’s Democratic Party kicked off a statewide press tour titled “100% MAGA” arguing that Republican gubernatorial candidate and state Treasurer Stacy Garrity would align closely with President Donald Trump’s agenda if elected governor.  

“Garrity is as MAGA as they come,” Democratic Party Chairman Eugene DePasquale said during Tuesday’s news conference in Harrisburg. 

DePasquale said Garrity would not have challenged the Trump administration in court over its policies. He argued she would not push back against Trump’s tariffs or policies he said could increase health care costs.  

Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, has sued the Trump administration more than two dozen times. Garrity once called the tariffs “fantastic” but has since said that she “would probably do tariffs a little bit differently.” 

It’s no surprise that Democrats are trying to tie Garrity to Trump, said Lehigh University professor Chris Borick.  

“President Trump’s approval ratings right now are not good in Pennsylvania and elsewhere,” he said. “They will do everything they can to put those two together in the voters minds right now.” 

The Democrat Party’s press tour comes as both campaigns ramp up messaging ahead of November. Garrity’s campaign has launched “Twilight Justice,” an ad miniseries revisiting past investigations and criminal cases while suggesting Shapiro mishandled his role as attorney general. Dozens of episodes are expected to roll out before Election Day.  

DePasquale was joined by two representatives of Pa.’s legislature, Sen. Patty Kim and Rep. Nate Davidson, and AFL-CIO president Angela Ferritto.  

The Garrity for PA website boasts that Garrity is “a strong ally of President Trump.” 

The treasurer posted a video in the oval office with the president last week, in which he endorsed her for a third time. 

Garrity has also faced criticism over her past statements about the 2020 presidential election. Democrats have called her an election denier, pointing to comments in which she said Trump won the election.  

In a recent interview, she denied that characterization but said “we know there were irregularities.” 

“As I have said repeatedly since the 2020 election, I am painfully aware that Joe Biden was elected President,” Garrity said in a statement to WITF. “Painfully, because our nation endured 9% inflation and we were embarrassed on the global stage by Joe Biden’s failed withdrawal from Afghanistan on his watch.  But despite Joe Biden’s disastrous term, Josh Shapiro stood by him until the very end and tried to gaslight the country that Joe Biden was capable of serving another 4 years as President.  That is an indictment on Josh Shapiro’s judgement and ability to tell Pennsylvania voters the truth.” 

The latest poll on the race for Pa. Governor from National Public Affairs found that Shapiro has a 50% chance of winning while Garrity’s is 43%. 

According to campaign finance reports, Shapiro raised $16 million more than Garrity in 2026.