PLC Selects Garrity as Favorite for 2026 Gubernatorial Challenge
State treasurer easily outdistances Meuser, Mastriano, Phillips-Hill and Martin
April 7, 2025
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State treasurer easily outdistances Meuser, Mastriano, Phillips-Hill and Martin
Remains below U.S. rate that rose to 4.1% last month
Has served as interim Consumer Advocate since February
Three hold degrees from Penn, while other serves as interim U.S. attorney for Eastern District of PA
Says PA has had two consecutive “weak” governors and he could bring Trump agenda to state
Workers in Altoona and State College to see offices shuttered
Becomes 55th adjutant general and head of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs
Says in interview that embracing mail-in ballots would have made difference in 2022
Says “funding formula needs to change to reflect what is actually being spent to educate students”
Included in total was over $100 million in sports wagering and iGaming tables revenue
President Donald Trump and State Treasurer Stacy Garrity were the big winners as the annual Pennsylvania Leadership Conference (PLC) concluded its three-day run in Camp Hill on Saturday.
The PLC also conducted its annual Pennsylvania Straw Poll which gathered 267 verified ballots from attendees across eight states and territories, hoping to identify insights into key policy concerns.
Trump earned the highest plaudits from the attendees which were comprised of 52% over the age of 55 and 63% male. The president drew an approval rating of 4.56 out a possible 5.0, while Vice President JD Vance came in right behind at 4.45.
Garrity, who began her second term as state treasurer in January, received a 4.47 approval rate on the 5.0 scale from the PLC attendees. She also was tabbed as the favorite candidate among the five listed for the 2026 GOP nomination for governor, garnering 41.1 percent support. U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser (R-09) was a distant second at 9.13%, followed by state Sen. Doug Mastriano (6.39%), State Sens. Kristin Phillips-Hill and Scott Martin each received 2.28%.
Among other elected statewide officials, Republican Sen. David McCormick drew a 4.01 mark, while his Democratic counterpart, Sen. John Fetterman, got a 2.21 rating. Auditor General Tim DeFoor received a 4.07 rating, while, perhaps not surprisingly, Gov. Josh Shapiro received a failing grade of 1.42.
The GOP-controlled Pennsylvania Senate pulled in a 3.28 number, while its Democratic-controlled opposite in the House garnered a 2.46. And the Pennsylvania Supreme Court which has a 5-2 Democratic majority, came in under two at 1.86.
Respondents saw more clouds on the horizon than sun, as nearly 3-in-5 said they felt their community was more dangerous than five years ago, while half said that their children would be worse off than themselves.
The survey also showcased the political strife in the Commonwealth and the country, as 7-in-10 said that they felt personally or professionally threatened because of their political beliefs. The good news is that this figure dropped 13 points from a year ago.
Respondents said that the three most important issues facing the Commonwealth were election integrity (18.6%), budget (15.3%), and energy (14.5%). Education and school choice received a handful of write-in votes.
In regards to the second Trump Administration, those surveyed agreed strongly that the president should have at-will authority to fire federal employees (76.6%), but Congress should not allow Trump to run for a third term (68.2%).
Despite the controversy surrounding the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and Elon Musk, respondents did not feel that they have too much power with only 7.9 percent agreeing to the statement.
President Donald Trump and State Treasurer Stacy Garrity were the big winners as the annual Pennsylvania Leadership Conference (PLC) concluded its three-day run in Camp Hill on Saturday.
The PLC also conducted its annual Pennsylvania Straw Poll which gathered 267 verified ballots from attendees across eight states and territories, hoping to identify insights into key policy concerns.
Trump earned the highest plaudits from the attendees which were comprised of 52% over the age of 55 and 63% male. The president drew an approval rating of 4.56 out a possible 5.0, while Vice President JD Vance came in right behind at 4.45.
Garrity, who began her second term as state treasurer in January, received a 4.47 approval rate on the 5.0 scale from the PLC attendees. She also was tabbed as the favorite candidate among the five listed for the 2026 GOP nomination for governor, garnering 41.1 percent support. U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser (R-09) was a distant second at 9.13%, followed by state Sen. Doug Mastriano (6.39%), State Sens. Kristin Phillips-Hill and Scott Martin each received 2.28%.
Among other elected statewide officials, Republican Sen. David McCormick drew a 4.01 mark, while his Democratic counterpart, Sen. John Fetterman, got a 2.21 rating. Auditor General Tim DeFoor received a 4.07 rating, while, perhaps not surprisingly, Gov. Josh Shapiro received a failing grade of 1.42.
The GOP-controlled Pennsylvania Senate pulled in a 3.28 number, while its Democratic-controlled opposite in the House garnered a 2.46. And the Pennsylvania Supreme Court which has a 5-2 Democratic majority, came in under two at 1.86.
Respondents saw more clouds on the horizon than sun, as nearly 3-in-5 said they felt their community was more dangerous than five years ago, while half said that their children would be worse off than themselves.
The survey also showcased the political strife in the Commonwealth and the country, as 7-in-10 said that they felt personally or professionally threatened because of their political beliefs. The good news is that this figure dropped 13 points from a year ago.
Respondents said that the three most important issues facing the Commonwealth were election integrity (18.6%), budget (15.3%), and energy (14.5%). Education and school choice received a handful of write-in votes.
In regards to the second Trump Administration, those surveyed agreed strongly that the president should have at-will authority to fire federal employees (76.6%), but Congress should not allow Trump to run for a third term (68.2%).
Despite the controversy surrounding the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and Elon Musk, respondents did not feel that they have too much power with only 7.9 percent agreeing to the statement.
President Donald Trump and State Treasurer Stacy Garrity were the big winners as the annual Pennsylvania Leadership Conference (PLC) concluded its three-day run in Camp Hill on Saturday.
The PLC also conducted its annual Pennsylvania Straw Poll which gathered 267 verified ballots from attendees across eight states and territories, hoping to identify insights into key policy concerns.
Trump earned the highest plaudits from the attendees which were comprised of 52% over the age of 55 and 63% male. The president drew an approval rating of 4.56 out a possible 5.0, while Vice President JD Vance came in right behind at 4.45.
Garrity, who began her second term as state treasurer in January, received a 4.47 approval rate on the 5.0 scale from the PLC attendees. She also was tabbed as the favorite candidate among the five listed for the 2026 GOP nomination for governor, garnering 41.1 percent support. U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser (R-09) was a distant second at 9.13%, followed by state Sen. Doug Mastriano (6.39%), State Sens. Kristin Phillips-Hill and Scott Martin each received 2.28%.
Among other elected statewide officials, Republican Sen. David McCormick drew a 4.01 mark, while his Democratic counterpart, Sen. John Fetterman, got a 2.21 rating. Auditor General Tim DeFoor received a 4.07 rating, while, perhaps not surprisingly, Gov. Josh Shapiro received a failing grade of 1.42.
The GOP-controlled Pennsylvania Senate pulled in a 3.28 number, while its Democratic-controlled opposite in the House garnered a 2.46. And the Pennsylvania Supreme Court which has a 5-2 Democratic majority, came in under two at 1.86.
Respondents saw more clouds on the horizon than sun, as nearly 3-in-5 said they felt their community was more dangerous than five years ago, while half said that their children would be worse off than themselves.
The survey also showcased the political strife in the Commonwealth and the country, as 7-in-10 said that they felt personally or professionally threatened because of their political beliefs. The good news is that this figure dropped 13 points from a year ago.
Respondents said that the three most important issues facing the Commonwealth were election integrity (18.6%), budget (15.3%), and energy (14.5%). Education and school choice received a handful of write-in votes.
In regards to the second Trump Administration, those surveyed agreed strongly that the president should have at-will authority to fire federal employees (76.6%), but Congress should not allow Trump to run for a third term (68.2%).
Despite the controversy surrounding the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and Elon Musk, respondents did not feel that they have too much power with only 7.9 percent agreeing to the statement.
President Donald Trump and State Treasurer Stacy Garrity were the big winners as the annual Pennsylvania Leadership Conference (PLC) concluded its three-day run in Camp Hill on Saturday.
The PLC also conducted its annual Pennsylvania Straw Poll which gathered 267 verified ballots from attendees across eight states and territories, hoping to identify insights into key policy concerns.
Trump earned the highest plaudits from the attendees which were comprised of 52% over the age of 55 and 63% male. The president drew an approval rating of 4.56 out a possible 5.0, while Vice President JD Vance came in right behind at 4.45.
Garrity, who began her second term as state treasurer in January, received a 4.47 approval rate on the 5.0 scale from the PLC attendees. She also was tabbed as the favorite candidate among the five listed for the 2026 GOP nomination for governor, garnering 41.1 percent support. U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser (R-09) was a distant second at 9.13%, followed by state Sen. Doug Mastriano (6.39%), State Sens. Kristin Phillips-Hill and Scott Martin each received 2.28%.
Among other elected statewide officials, Republican Sen. David McCormick drew a 4.01 mark, while his Democratic counterpart, Sen. John Fetterman, got a 2.21 rating. Auditor General Tim DeFoor received a 4.07 rating, while, perhaps not surprisingly, Gov. Josh Shapiro received a failing grade of 1.42.
The GOP-controlled Pennsylvania Senate pulled in a 3.28 number, while its Democratic-controlled opposite in the House garnered a 2.46. And the Pennsylvania Supreme Court which has a 5-2 Democratic majority, came in under two at 1.86.
Respondents saw more clouds on the horizon than sun, as nearly 3-in-5 said they felt their community was more dangerous than five years ago, while half said that their children would be worse off than themselves.
The survey also showcased the political strife in the Commonwealth and the country, as 7-in-10 said that they felt personally or professionally threatened because of their political beliefs. The good news is that this figure dropped 13 points from a year ago.
Respondents said that the three most important issues facing the Commonwealth were election integrity (18.6%), budget (15.3%), and energy (14.5%). Education and school choice received a handful of write-in votes.
In regards to the second Trump Administration, those surveyed agreed strongly that the president should have at-will authority to fire federal employees (76.6%), but Congress should not allow Trump to run for a third term (68.2%).
Despite the controversy surrounding the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and Elon Musk, respondents did not feel that they have too much power with only 7.9 percent agreeing to the statement.
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