NEW YORK — On the heels of major GOP wins in Pennsylvania last month, several potential candidates are lining up to challenge Gov. Josh Shapiro in 2026.
Shapiro, 51, is a first-term Democrat with an unusually high popularity rating. He went mostly unchallenged in the 2022 gubernatorial election, after clearing the Democratic field in the primary election and establishment Republicans failing to block right-wing State Sen. Doug Mastriano (R., Franklin) from winning the GOP primary. Shapiro beat Mastriano by 15 percentage points, without ever having to stand for 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 was considering running for governor, but is not yet committed to it. Meuser previously served as secretary of revenue in former Gov. Tom Corbett’s administration, was a past president of wheelchair manufacturer Pride Mobility Products, and has remained a staunch supporter of President-elect Donald Trump over the years.
”I’m doing some due diligence, and I have been receiving some encouragement,” Meuser said.
Another potential candidate that some Republicans have shown interest in running is Treasurer Stacy Garrity, 60, who overwhelmingly won reelection last month to a second term. Garrity, a former U.S. Army Reserve colonel who received two Bronze Star Medals for her work in combat zones in the Middle East, recently broke Shapiro’s record by receiving the most-ever votes for a statewide office in Pennsylvania history.
However, when asked about whether she was mulling a run — and what she thinks of her peers’ encouragement — she declined to say whether she plans to throw her hat in the ring.
“I’m really honored that they’re thinking of me,” Garrity said. “But you know, we’re just coming off a win. We did a lot in the first term. We basically broke every record in the Treasury, but there’s still a lot more to do. So right now I’m really just focusing on the job of treasurer for the moment.”
Many Pennsylvania Republicans, gathered at events around Midtown Manhattan for the state’s annual New York City getaway of fancy parties, had similar desire to more seriously challenge Shapiro in the midterm election. Shapiro has long been rumored to have presidential ambitions and he remains a top name in the field for the 2028 presidential election. How well he does in his reelection bid will determine if he makes a run, experts said.
Manuel Bonder, a spokesperson for Shapiro, said in a statement that Shapiro is focused on the job he is elected to do.
“Anyone who is interested in playing political parlor games is welcome to have fun doing so,” Bonder added.
A few other rumored potential candidates gave a firm “No,” and said they are not considering a run against Shapiro in 2026.
Former Pennsylvania House Speaker Mike Turzai (R., Allegheny), who left the state House in 2020 and has previously considered running for governor, said he is not considering running this time and likes his job as general counsel to Peoples Natural Gas, a utility company headquartered in Pittsburgh.
Dave Sunday, the Republican attorney general-elect who won the powerful position in last month’s election, was also a potential candidate some state Republicans were interested in seeing run. But with his recent election to the statewide row office, he said he won’t be running for governor in two years. (During his campaign for AG, he said he did not want to pursue higher office beyond attorney general at this time.)
“That’s not happening,” Sunday said outside the Pennsylvania Manufacturer’s Association annual luncheon.
Other names floated as potential candidates include two 2022 gubernatorial candidates — Dave White, a former union pipe-fitter and Delaware County Council member, and State Sen. Scott Martin (R., Lancaster). State Sen. Greg Rothman (R., Cumberland) has also been mentioned as a possible contender.
Staff writer Katie Bernard contributed to this article.
