Shapiro, Garrity clash on data centers, measles response in Pennsylvania governor debate: 4 takeaways

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) and state Treasurer Stacy Garrity (R), their parties’ nominees to lead the commonwealth, sparred over an ongoing measles outbreak, voter ID reform and data centers during their first and only scheduled debate on Wednesday evening.

The debate was hosted by ABC27, a local affiliate of The Hill’s parent company, Nexstar Media Group, in Harrisburg.

Shapiro has held a strong lead in his reelection race, polling 25 points ahead of Garrity in a Quinnipiac University poll released on Wednesday. The Cook Political Report , a nonpartisan election forecaster, rates this race as solidly in the Democratic column.

Here are four takeaways from Wednesday’s debate:

Each candidate began by defending their stance on data center developments in the commonwealth, amid rising concerns across the country about these facilities’ reported environmental impacts and high energy usage.

As governor, Shapiro unveiled requirements for new data center developments in the commonwealth, but he stopped short of imposing a full moratorium like some other Democratic state leaders .

“I put in place the strictest policy, the strictest guardrails, in the nation to ensure that our communities are protected,” Shapiro said. “Again, just putting it very simply, if a local community does not want that data center to be built in their community, it will not be built.”

Garrity, who has called for a temporary halt of new data center developments in Pennsylvania to allow for more debate on this issue, declined to say during the debate how long she would impose this pause if elected.

“A real leader doesn’t need that long of a pause,” she said. “You get all of the stakeholders around the table, and you find out, what do you need to protect ratepayers and protect communities? So as long as it takes.”

“I come from the private sector, so I think you can get it done very quickly,” she added.

Shapiro refused to address speculation on Wednesday night that he is considering a presidential run in 2028. The incumbent governor has repeatedly sidestepped this question during his reelection bid.

Debate moderator and ABC27 journalist Dennis Owens probed Shapiro on whether he would “serve the full four years as governor” if he was successful in the November election.

“The only thing I am focused on is running for re-election as governor,” he replied. “And I’m focused on these midterms , in trying to generate the kind of turnout and support the kind of candidates who will push back on the chaos, the cruelty and the corruption of Donald Trump, the kind of chaos, cruelty and corruption that my opponent supports.”

When pressed by Owens again, Shapiro pointed to the fact that his opponent would break her four-year term as treasurer if elected governor this fall.

“The treasurer made a commitment she would serve her full term as treasurer,” the governor said. “She’s obviously broken that, and I’m going to do everything in my power to ensure she’s able to serve all four years.”

The two leading candidates traded jabs over the response to a measles outbreak in Pennsylvania. The commonwealth has reported four measles-related deaths this year — a statistic disputed by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Garrity has repeated Kennedy’s allegations that Shapiro’s administration hastily linked these deaths to the growing outbreak in an attempt to score political points against the Trump administration. The governor has forcefully pushed back, noting the secretary’s history of vaccine skepticism.

The Republican candidate expressed her support for vaccination against measles and said she believes Kennedy holds the same view. She criticized Shapiro for his response, saying the governor “ran to the camera” before verifying the facts.

“He didn’t get boots on the ground, conduct an investigation and wait to announce, you know, the results, until he had the facts because he is the least transparent governor in modern Pennsylvania history,” Garrity said.

Shapiro countered by seeking to draw a stark distinction between his stance and his opponent and the Trump administration’s perspective on this issue.

“My opponent stands with RFK Jr.; I stand on the side of science,” he said. “Back in the year 2000, measles was eliminated from the United States. It’s come roaring back because of vaccine misinformation and disinformation.”

Garrity and Shapiro also clashed on the issue of voter identification reform — a top issue for the Trump administration.

Several Republican governors have signed new laws requiring voters to present identification when going to cast their ballots amid a stall over a federal bill that Trump has dubbed his “No. 1” legislative priority .

Shapiro said he remained “open” to considering legislation on this issue if it received the support of the commonwealth’s legislature.

“But it can’t be based on the kind of conspiracy theories that my opponent and others continue to this day to spew,” he added.

Garrity expressed her strong support for enacting this legislation in Pennsylvania, saying there was “always some shenanigans” with the commonwealth’s elections process.

“The governor has consistently… used the excuse that he can’t do anything because he has a divided legislature,” she said. “Well, that’s not what real leadership is.”