Garrity vs. Shapiro: Side by Side on Every Issue
They disagree on energy, abortion, marijuana, taxes and election integrity. On one issue, they don’t disagree at all.
Natural gas first. Lift drilling barriers. Speed permits for pipelines and power plants. Roll back energy mandates. Kill Shapiro’s PACER carbon program. Wants a special legislative session to fast-track gas permits. Promises 200,000 new jobs and $6 billion in revenue.
Keeps natural gas in the mix but pairs it with wind, solar and nuclear expansion. His PACER plan puts a price on carbon emissions and uses the revenue to fund electricity-bill rebates. Requires data centers to meet clean-energy thresholds before accessing tax breaks. Wants faster permitting but with environmental and community conditions attached.
Pro-life with unspecified exceptions. Called Shapiro’s refusal to defend PA’s Medicaid abortion-funding ban “immoral.” Says taxpayer dollars should not fund abortion.
Pro-choice. Declined to defend the public-funding ban after Commonwealth Court struck it down. Said access to reproductive care should not depend on income.
Would veto any recreational legalization bill. Calls marijuana addictive. Argues the tax revenue is overstated, pointing to Ohio, where she estimated state revenue at “under $300 million a year.” (Ohio’s first-year recreational sales topped $700 million, but tax revenue to the state was far lower.) Favors natural gas drilling as the bigger revenue source.
Included a state-run recreational program in every budget since taking office. Projects $729 million in year-one revenue. Wants the Department of Agriculture to run it. Allocates $25 million to minority-owned businesses entering the market.
Praised Amazon’s $20 billion PA investment and said the state could be “doing more” to attract projects. But has since said she does “not believe data center development should receive special tax incentives” and wants “no more sweetheart tax deals” for developers.
Conditional incentives. Tax breaks only if data centers power 32%+ of operations with clean energy and sign community benefits agreements. Pitched sustainability and transparency requirements.
Cut property taxes for seniors. Calls PA’s tax burden one of the highest in the country. Frames natural gas revenue as the alternative to new taxes or marijuana money.
Leans on marijuana legalization and data-center revenue to fill budget gaps. Has not proposed broad tax cuts. Focused on spending: healthcare, education, energy rebates.
Would comply with the Trump administration’s request for PA’s voter rolls. At a Jan. 5, 2021 Harrisburg rally, said the November 2020 election was “tarnished forever”; at a 2022 Trump rally said of Trump, “we know that he won.” Her campaign later said those remarks referred to a state Senate race and that she accepts the 2020 results, and in January 2026 she told reporters it was “easy to get caught up at a Trump rally.” Calls herself a “strong ally” of Trump.
Opposes handing voter roll data to the federal government. Has not questioned the 2020 results. Positioned as a national Democrat and potential 2028 contender.
Won’t say whether she supports or opposes ICE detention centers proposed for Berks and Schuylkill counties. Says the proposals “warrant serious review.” Dismissed Shapiro’s opposition as “posturing” and “grandstanding.” When pressed, her campaign said only that she “will work with any president in the best interests of Pennsylvania.” Accused Shapiro of backing “sanctuary-style protections” as a county commissioner and shifting positions with the political winds.
Promised to use “every single bit of power” to block two proposed ICE detention centers that would hold up to 9,000 people. State agencies under his administration refuse to share voter data or food-benefit recipient info with the feds. State Police don’t ask for immigration status and don’t share it with the federal government. Has filed or joined more than a dozen lawsuits against the Trump administration, including multistate suits over withheld federal funding. Immigration activists still say he isn’t going far enough.
Invested $45 million in taxpayer money into Israel Bonds after Oct. 7. Called Israel “our greatest ally” and “the only democracy in the Middle East.” Dismissed divestment protesters: the only “die-in” that mattered was Oct. 7. Attended an Israel Bonds thank-you gala. No caveats. No conditions.
Backed Israel’s right to self-defense after Oct. 7. Insisted hostages must return before peace. Supports a two-state solution. But called Netanyahu “one of the worst leaders of all time.” Urged the US to increase Gaza aid. Was targeted in a Passover arson attack over his stance. Says polling won’t move his position.
Sources & Fact Check
Every claim in this comparison was verified against primary reporting and official records as of July 2026. Positions reflect the most recent public statements available; candidate stances may continue to evolve before the November election.
- Spotlight PA / ABC27 — “Where governor candidates Garrity and Shapiro stand on data centers.” Shapiro’s GRID standards (32% clean energy threshold, community benefits agreement), Garrity’s Amazon $20B comment, and her “no sweetheart tax deals” position.
- Pennsylvania Capital-Star — “Republican Stacy Garrity’s first campaign speech of 2026 was all about Gov. Josh Shapiro.” Abortion (pro-life with exceptions), property taxes, marijuana revenue skepticism, and voter roll compliance.
- Times Leader / WFMZ (Spotlight PA) — “Where governor candidates Garrity and Shapiro stand on marijuana, hemp, and more.” Garrity’s veto pledge and Shapiro’s $729M revenue projection (taxes plus one-time licensing fees) and state-run program proposal.
- Ohio Dept. of Commerce / Ohio Capital Journal / OSU Drug Enforcement and Policy Center — Ohio’s first-year recreational sales figure (~$702M in sales, not tax revenue) and the OSU projection of $276–403M in annual tax revenue by year five, used to check Garrity’s Ohio estimate.
- ABC27 / WPSU — “Where governor candidates Garrity and Shapiro stand on abortion.” Shapiro’s decision not to defend the Medicaid funding ban; Garrity calling it “immoral.”
- The Center Square / WPSU — Energy plans. Garrity’s natural-gas-first agenda, 200,000 jobs and $6B revenue claim; Shapiro’s clean-energy-plus-gas approach.
- PIOGA / Broad + Liberty — Garrity’s op-ed calling PACER a “disguised carbon tax” costing ratepayers $1.5 billion annually.
- The Energy Co-op / NPR StateImpact — PACER program details: cap-and-trade on 25MW+ power plants, 70% of revenue to electricity-bill rebates, $252M projected savings.
- Center for American Progress — Shapiro’s Lightning Plan bills, including the 35%-by-2035 clean energy standard (H.B. 501) and Community Energy Act (H.B. 504).
- Spotlight PA / WESA — “As Shapiro opposes ICE detention centers, his GOP opponent stays vague.” Garrity’s “warrant serious review” and “posturing” statements.
- Pennsylvania Capital-Star / Fox56 — Shapiro’s pledge to block Berks and Schuylkill ICE detention centers (up to 9,000 people) and refusal to share state data.
- WITF / WHYY / The Daily Pennsylvanian — Shapiro’s State Police non-cooperation policy and his record of filing or joining more than a dozen lawsuits against the Trump administration, including multistate suits over withheld federal funds.
- WESA / Pennsylvania Capital-Star — Garrity’s 2020 election statements: the Jan. 5, 2021 “tarnished forever” remark, the 2022 “we know that he won” comment, her campaign’s clarification, and her January 2026 walk-back.
- Spotlight PA — “Treasurer Garrity bought Israel Bonds. Candidate Garrity then campaigned at the firm’s gala.” The $45M taxpayer investment, $450 gala ticket paid via campaign funds, and ethics concerns.
- Pennsylvania Treasury (official) — Garrity’s “greatest ally in the Middle East” statement and Israel Bonds investment announcements.
- Pennsylvania Capital-Star — Garrity’s additional $25M Israel Bonds purchase framed as “standing with Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East.”
- The Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle / Fox News — Garrity’s response to divestment protesters (“the only die-in was Oct. 7”).
- The Hill / Philadelphia Inquirer / The Forward — Shapiro’s Israel record: support for Israel’s self-defense, “worst leaders of all time” criticism of Netanyahu, and calls to increase Gaza aid.
- AOL / The Hill — The Passover arson attack targeting Shapiro, in which the accused cited Shapiro’s stance on Palestinians.
- Capital & Main / Daily Kos — Garrity’s fracking income (at least $15,600 since 2020 from wells near her Sayre property) and associated ethics questions.
- NYT/Siena & Arab American Institute polling — Democratic opposition to military aid to Israel; the age gap in views on the Gaza war.