Image Credits: Historic Capitol Building of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg (Bkamprath) Unsplash
On Aug. 18, Treasurer of Pennsylvania, Stacy Garrity (R) announced that she will be running for the Governor of Pennsylvania, challenging incumbent Josh Shapiro (D) for the seat. Pennsylvania Republicans, such as Rep. Lloyd Smucker and Rep. Dan Meuser, hope Garrity will be the one to flip the Governor’s seat after previous Republican candidate Doug Mastriano lost to Shapiro in the 2022 Gubernatorial Election by 15 points.
Previous Work & Views
As treasurer, Garrity currently oversees the Pennsylvania 529 College and Career Savings Program, which aids families in saving for post-secondary education expenses. During her term, she has waived fees for the program multiple years in a row, saving families millions in expenses. Account owners have also seen fee reduction, resulting in $17 million in savings by the end of the fiscal year. Because of these fee reductions and favorable contracts, Garrity has been recognized for her “exceptional oversight and advocacy,” according to Morningstar.
As an ally of President Trump, Garrity has expressed support for the “Big Beautiful Bill,” which analysts at The Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP) say poses a risk to the state’s healthcare system. Some concerns raised by the bill include cutting funds to Medicaid, which covers over 3 million Pennsylvanians. These cuts will result in increased uncompensated care rates and higher costs for insured patients, as well as cuts in-service to rural areas and loss of jobs in healthcare and adjacent industries. Despite this, Garrity stated on social media platform X that the bill will “reduce wasteful spending” and put money “back into [Pennsylvanians’] pockets.”
Garrity is also a vocal supporter of Israel, buying $20 million in Israel bonds on Oct. 12, 2023. The Pennsylvania Treasury Department already had $36 million in Israel bonds, effectively boosting that number to $56 million. Despite pushback due to Israel’s genocide of Palestinians, Garrity maintains the view that Israel has a “right to defend itself,” according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
While Garrity stated she would not support a state-wide abortion ban, her past views on abortion could suggest otherwise. In a Facebook post from May 13, 2022, she stated that “Pennsylvania needs a pro-life governor.” She also celebrated the overturn of Roe v. Wade, according to Spotlight PA. In another Facebook post, she called for Planned Parenthood to be defunded, and was endorsed by the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation during her 2020 campaign for treasurer. Garrity stated in another Facebook post that she was a “proud pro-life candidate.” According to Politico, she sold anti-abortion merchandise on her treasurer campaign website, including slogans such as “Defund Planned Parenthood,” “Life Won,” and “Baby Lives Matter” on clothing and bumper stickers. While she has since removed this merchandise from her online store, some images can still be accessed.
On Issues That Could Affect Students
While Garrity has not explicitly stated any policies related to education at this time, other policies she has discussed could still affect West Chester University (WCU) students. During an interview with Fox News on Aug. 24, when asked how she would go about funding mass transit and her opinions on the proposed legislation, she stated “I think everybody wants to fund mass transit, but we’re kind of out of money, so I think we need to open up the books, we need to see what’s in there, see if there’s any productivity improvements that can be made.”
This comment was referring to proposed service cuts to the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), when 20% of services were set to be slashed, including the elimination and reduction of up to 48 bus routes due to a lack of state funding. Among these service cuts was the reduction of the 104 route, which connects the 69th Street Transportation Center of Philadelphia County to WCU’s north campus. However, due to the Shapiro administration approving SEPTA utilizing capital funds set aside for repairs and maintenance, all services will be fully restored by Sept. 14, allowing them to sustain daily operations for the next two years. Garrity still states, however, that every agency can find opportunities to reduce costs, though she did not elaborate on potential methods to utilize when the two year grace period ends.
Garrity also has mixed views surrounding mail-in ballots, which is a suggested form of voting for Pennsylvania college students who are registered to vote at their home address, but are unable to travel home for Election Day. According to the Sun-Gazette, Garrity has said that Republicans should embrace mail-in ballots in 2023 due to Democrats having an advantage with this method, claiming they received 350% more mail-in ballots than Republicans in the 2022 Midterms. She has stated that “to win the game, you have to be on the field” in order for Republicans to maintain a majority in future elections.
However, in an interview with Fox News, she stated that her views had changed, and that “President Trump has a legitimate concern around how you police fraud.” While in Harrisburg in Jan. 2021, she claimed to “question the integrity” of the election. During a rally for Senate candidate Mehmet Oz in 2022, she stated that “we know that he won” while pointing at Trump, according to the Pennsylvania Capital-Star. This came after President Trump’s claims that mail-in ballots would result in rampant fraud during the 2020 Presidential Election, a view he still maintains today, as he has “vowed to try and ban mail-in ballots before the 2026 Midterms,” according to CBS News.
Jack Snock is a fourth-year Political Science major with a Journalism minor. AS993182@wcupa.edu.