Josh Shapiro and Stacy Garrity prepare to face off for governor of Pennsylvania this fall

2026 ElectionJosh Shapiro and Stacy Garrity prepare to face off for governor of Pennsylvania this fallThe Democratic governor and the Republican challenger were unopposed in their primaries. Now, a major general election begins.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA) points prior to Round One of the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium on April 23, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pa.Emilee Chinn / Getty Images fileShareAdd NBC News to GoogleMay 19, 2026, 8:00 PM EDTBy Allan SmithPennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and state Treasurer Stacy Garrity will face off this fall in a ticket-topping race for governor in the nation’s largest swing state.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.The matchup being set is no surprise, as both cleared the fields in their primary contests. But the general election is notable — and the impact could reverberate beyond Pennsylvania in future elections.Shapiro, a Democrat who enjoys high approval ratings in the battleground state, enters the contest as a heavy favorite looking to cement his reputation as Pennsylvania’s dominant political figure.But those dynamics could shift in the months leading up to the November election, and Garrity and Republicans are eager to stop Shapiro — or at least dent his reputation — before he tries to go national.Pennsylvania state Treasurer Stacy Garrity in Harrisburg, Pa.Marc Levy / AP fileA potential 2028 presidential candidate, Shapiro is eager to lead the Democratic ticket to big results this year. He has zoomed in on four swing House races in the state that will be set after Tuesday, making endorsements in all four of those Democratic primaries. The governor is looking to play a major role in flipping those seats from Republican control — and potentially swinging the House majority for Democrats nationally.Shapiro is also hoping to help flip a handful of contested state Senate seats this fall that could give Democrats unifi...