Shapiro wins reelection as Pennsylvania governor

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) will win a second term as governor of one of the biggest battleground states in the U.S., Decision Desk HQ projects .

Shapiro’s victory comes as no surprise, as he was expected to coast to victory over state Treasurer Stacy Garrity (R). Just after 8:23 p.m. EST, Shapiro had more than 84 percent of the vote in early returns.

Polls consistently showed the incumbent ahead by as much as 20 points or more. Meanwhile, Garrity struggled with a lack of fundraising throughout the campaign, being overwhelmingly outraised and outspent by the Democratic governor.

In one sign of the writing being on the wall for Garrity, the Republican Governors Association never significantly invested in the race, focusing resources elsewhere in contests seen as more competitive.

The bigger question of the night in Pennsylvania is how big of a win Shapiro can attain. If he can win by a large margin, surpassing his 15-point victory from four years ago, Democrats may be in for a big night.

On the federal level, Democrats are looking to pick up as many as four additional House seats, targeting GOP Reps. Scott Perry, Ryan Mackenzie, Rob Bresnahan and Brian Fitzpatrick. Flipping multiple of these seats could help Democrats pad their margin in a potential House majority in the new term.

On the state level, Democrats are hoping to win a trifecta for the first time in more than 30 years. The party currently holds a narrow majority in the state House and needs to pick up a few seats in the state Senate to flip it.

Winning control of both won’t be easy, but it’s viewed as at least conceivable for the first time in years.

Shapiro’s win also will likely draw more attention to him as he’s a speculated 2028 presidential contender . The governor has dodged questions about a potential bid previously, saying he’s focused on helping Democrats win this year.