Shapiro, Garrity Clash in Pennsylvania’s Sole Gubernatorial Debate

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Republican challenger Stacy Garrity met Wednesday in their only scheduled debate before the Nov. 3 election, sparring over data-center development, the measles outbreak, education, voter ID, gas prices and other state issues. Shapiro defended rules requiring data centers to meet environmental safeguards and gain community support, while Garrity called for a temporary pause in new projects to give stakeholders more time to address concerns. The candidates also clashed over public health and leadership, with Garrity criticizing Shapiro’s handling of the measles outbreak and Shapiro linking her to President Donald Trump. Their disagreements extend to other issues: Shapiro supports abortion access and LGBTQ+ protections and opposes restrictions on gender-affirming care, while Garrity opposes taxpayer-funded abortion and has emphasized restricting transgender girls’ participation in school sports. The debate also featured attacks on each candidate’s record and political alliances, as both made their case to voters in a sharply divided state.