State Treasurer and GOP challenger Stacy Garrity and Governor Josh Shapiro have each agreed to a debate hosted by Nexstar Media Inc. on October 7 at 8:00pm at the ABC27 studio in Harrisburg, ABC27 News reported.
The debate will air on WPHL-TV (MyNetworkTV) in Philadelphia and will be moderated by longtime ABC27 anchor Dennis Owens. The debate will also stream on each station’s smart television apps, available on Roku, AppleTV, Samsung, and Amazon FireTV devices, and YouTube platforms, ABC27 said.
“Game on,” said Matthew Beynon, a spokesperson for Garrity.
In June, Garrity called for seven debates with Shapiro. Garrity’s campaign announced last week that she would participate in a televised debate hosted by the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry in October, and that she has accepted an invitation to debate at KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh. Shapiro has not said whether he will take part in those events, PennLive said.
Both candidates ran opposed in May. A potential 2028 presidential candidate, Shapiro is considered a heavy favorite. The most recent Franklin & Marshall poll has Shapiro leading with 50% to Garrity’s 25%.
In related news, Shapiro was endorsed this week by Planned Parenthood Pennsylvania Advocates, the Pennsylvania State Troopers Association, and Philadelphia’s police union.
“The choice is obvious for anyone who believes in access to essential health care and the fundamental right to make your own decisions. Planned Parenthood is with Josh Shapiro one hundred percent,” Signe Espinoza, the organization’s executive director, said in a post. “In the world of Dobbs and ‘defunding’ health centers, the stakes of state races have never been higher. Josh Shapiro has risen to those stakes time and again as our Governor.”
Shapiro posted the following on X.com today:
I know this is a scary and uncertain time for so many women who see what’s happening across the country and worry that their right to choose and access reproductive care could suddenly be stripped away from them.
Hear me on this: I will never back down, and I will continue to stand up to Donald Trump and extremists who are trying to restrict your reproductive freedom.
“Every day, [Shapiro] has shown a commendable ability to work with local law enforcement and deliver the resources and support we need to protect and serve our friends, families, and neighbors,” said Roosevelt L. Poplar, president of the Fraternal Order of the Police Lodge 5, which represents over 14,000 active and retired Philadelphia police officers and sheriff’s deputies.
In a statement, Shapiro said he was “honored” by the endorsement, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
“I’m going to keep fighting for the brave law enforcement officers who work to keep Philadelphia safe every single day,” he said. “I believe all Pennsylvanians deserve to be safe and feel safe in their communities — and we have focused every day on funding law enforcement and supporting the men and women that protect and serve our Commonwealth.”
Shapiro previously received support from the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO and the Pennsylvania Professional Fire Fighters Association, The Inquirer said. Additional endorsements can be found here.
In January, Garrity received an endorsement from President Donald Trump.
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Photos: Commonwealth Media Services