Pennsylvania’s fundraising race: who’s really ahead?

Pennsylvania’s political money game just wrapped up its first financial quarter, and the numbers tell a clear story about where support is coming from. State Treasurer Stacy Garrity, a Republican, pulled in over a million dollars from January to March, but fell far behind Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro in a big way. Shapiro raised nearly ten times that amount—over ten million—for the same period. By the end of March, Shapiro’s campaign had over thirty-six million dollars in the bank, while Garrity’s totaled just over one and a half million. Garrity’s fundraising effort relied mostly on small donations from Pennsylvanians. A strong 96 percent of her money came from within the state, and a huge 90 percent of those contributions were under a hundred dollars. Her team called this support a sign of real grassroots backing. Meanwhile, Shapiro’s campaign spent significantly on travel to big cities like New York and Los Angeles, where he collected large donations from wealthy donors. One of those donors, billionaire Reid Hoffman, has ties to controversial legal documents, raising questions about who really influences state leadership.The campaigns aren’t just fighting over dollars—they’re also trading opinions on ethics and accountability. Garrity’s side criticized Shapiro’s administration for handling a serious workplace complaint. That issue involved a former senior adviser who resigned after allegations of inappropriate behavior, and the state ultimately paid a $295, 000 settlement. Garrity’s campaign says it plans to keep pressing for transparency and accountability, even with fewer resources. Shapiro’s team fired back, pointing to their strong financial numbers as proof of broad public support for his leadership. They avoided direct answers about the ethics concerns, instead highlighting the money numbers as evidence of success. But here’s something interesting: while Shapiro’s campaign focuses on big-money donors, Garrity’s strategy leans on everyday Pennsylvanians. That difference raises a bigger question: is political power in the state really about average citizens—or about who can attract the biggest checks?