Democrat Josh Shapiro won a second term as Pennsylvania governor on Tuesday, Nov. 3, defeating Republican state Treasurer Stacy Garrity, the Associated Press reported.

AP called the race at 8:02 p.m., just after polls closed, according to PoliticsPA. Shapiro became the fifth consecutive Democratic governor to win a second term in Pennsylvania, PoliticsPA reported.

Garrity conceded on election night. "A few minutes ago, I called the governor and spoke with him, and I congratulated him on his victory," Garrity said in a concession speech, according to PoliticsPA.

Libertarian Ken Krawchuk also appeared on the ballot. Polls had opened at 7 a.m. and closed at 8 p.m., according to Spotlight PA's voter guide.

The governor's term is four years. Under the Pennsylvania Constitution, a governor may only be reelected once, according to a League of Women Voters guide published by the Centre Daily Times.

What the governor does

Pennsylvania's governor oversees state agencies covering education, human services, law enforcement and the environment, according to Spotlight PA. The governor proposes an annual state budget, signs or vetoes legislation and can issue executive orders and emergency declarations.

The governor works alongside the General Assembly, which has a 203-member House and a 50-member Senate. The legislature proposes and passes state laws and develops the state budget. Republicans control the state Senate.

Josh Shapiro

Shapiro, a Democrat, was elected governor in 2022. He grew up in Philadelphia's suburbs, earned a degree from the University of Rochester and a law degree from Georgetown University, according to Spotlight PA.

He won a state House seat representing Montgomery County in 2004 and served four terms. He was elected attorney general in 2016, then governor in 2022.

Spotlight PA reported that Shapiro has amassed a $30 million campaign fund, compared with Garrity's $1 million.

His first term has been marked by friction with the Republican-controlled state Senate, particularly on fiscal issues, according to Spotlight PA. He has proposed legalizing recreational marijuana, taxing skill games and closing a corporate tax loophole. His administration estimates those changes would generate about $1.7 billion in the first year.

Shapiro's budgets have added more than $1 billion in funding for public education following a 2023 court ruling that found the state had unconstitutionally underfunded its poorest school districts, Spotlight PA reported. He proposed an additional $565 million for the 2026-27 fiscal year.

He signed an executive order in 2023 removing a four-year college degree requirement for thousands of state jobs. He has also backed raising Pennsylvania's minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 per hour.

On public safety, Shapiro has said he supports funding for law enforcement training in de-escalation methods and for community violence prevention programs, according to Spotlight PA. He has continued a moratorium on executions put in place by his predecessor.

Stacy Garrity

Garrity, a Republican, is in her second term as state treasurer, a role she was first elected to in 2020, according to Spotlight PA's voter guide. She is a Bradford County native who spent much of her career in manufacturing.

Garrity is a decorated U.S. Army Reserve veteran who deployed three times between 1991 and 2008, serving in Operation Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. She received two Bronze Stars and the Legion of Merit award and retired as a colonel.

She holds a bachelor's degree in finance from Bloomsburg University, according to the League of Women Voters guide.

In her candidate questionnaire responses published by the Centre Daily Times, Garrity said Pennsylvania families face higher energy bills, rising crime and government overspending. She said her priorities include expanding school choice, cooperating with federal immigration enforcement and cutting state spending.

On education, Garrity said she wants funding to follow students rather than school systems and supports public, charter, cyber and private school options.

Ken Krawchuk

Krawchuk, a Libertarian based in Abington, founded an IT consulting firm, according to Spotlight PA's voter guide. He supports privatizing schools, eliminating school property taxes, ending mail ballots and expanding voter ID requirements, according to his candidate questionnaire responses.

Results

AP called the race for Shapiro shortly after polls closed on Nov. 3. Unofficial results from Pennsylvania's 67 counties are being posted at electionreturns.pa.gov as they become available. The state's results site notes that displayed results are unofficial until counties complete the certification process.