Pennsylvania Election 2026: Shapiro vs. Garrity for Governor and 4 GOP House Seats That Could Decide Control

Featured photo: The Pennsylvania State Capitol in Harrisburg (file photo, 2015). Photo: Office of the Governor of Pennsylvania, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.

Pennsylvania voters are choosing a governor, all 19 U.S. House members and state legislators on Tuesday, Nov. 3, with four Republican-held House seats among the most closely watched in the country as Democrats try to win the House majority. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and voters in line at 8 p.m. can still vote, according to the Pennsylvania Department of State. State officials say full results in close races may take days.

As races are called, results for control of Congress and key governor’s races will appear on our 2026 election results tracker. The national picture is in Midterm Elections 2026: What to Watch Tuesday.

The governor’s race: Shapiro vs. Garrity

Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro is seeking a second term against Republican state Treasurer Stacy Garrity, City & State Pennsylvania reported. Shapiro won in 2022 by 14 points. Polls this summer showed him ahead: Franklin & Marshall College had him up 25 points in late August, and a New York Times/Philadelphia Inquirer/Siena poll in August had him up 16. Shapiro reported more than $55 million in contributions since January 2025, compared with $5.3 million for Garrity.

Shapiro has campaigned on his budget record, including school funding, expanded property tax relief and a new tax credit for working-class residents, and on stricter standards for data centers, City & State reported. He has also called for a Democratic state Senate majority to fund mass transit and expand housing. Garrity’s “Turnaround PA” plan focuses on property tax relief, lower utility bills and insurance and drug costs, and rural health care; she supports a pause on data center development and proposes ending the gross receipts tax on electricity and natural gas. Her campaign argues a Democratic trifecta would bring higher taxes.

Both candidates held closing rallies Monday night, Shapiro in Jenkintown and Garrity in Newtown, Spotlight PA reported.

Four House races to watch

All four competitive Pennsylvania House seats are held by Republicans, PhillyVoice reported:

• 1st District (Bucks County, part of Montgomery): Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R) faces Bucks County Commissioner Bob Harvie (D). Kamala Harris carried the district in 2024, and the Cook Political Report rates it a toss-up, WPXI reported.
• 7th District (Lehigh Valley): First-term Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R), who won by about 4,000 votes in 2024, faces Bob Brooks (D).
• 8th District (Scranton and the Poconos): Freshman Rep. Rob Bresnahan (R) faces Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti (D). Bresnahan’s stock trades have been an issue in the race; he says he does not direct his financial advisers.
• 10th District (Harrisburg area): Rep. Scott Perry (R), seeking an eighth term, faces former TV anchor Janelle Stelson (D) in a rematch of 2024, when Perry won by about 5,000 votes.

Former state Democratic Party chair Jim Burn said voters across parties are focused on the cost of living, while a National Republican Congressional Committee spokesperson credited Trump and House Republicans with focusing on lower costs, safety and manufacturing, WPXI reported. For the national House and Senate map, see the most contested Senate battlegrounds and Trump’s closing midterm message.

Voting today: what to know

• Mail ballots must be received by county election offices by 8 p.m. Mailing a ballot today is not advised; voters can return it to a county office, satellite office or drop box where available, according to the Department of State and Spotlight PA.
• Never received a mail ballot? Voters can cast a provisional ballot at their polling place, which is counted after officials confirm no mail ballot was returned, Spotlight PA reported.
• ID is required only for first-time voters or those voting for the first time at a new address.
• Help: the state’s voter hotline is 1-877-VOTESPA (1-877-868-3772).

The U.S. Justice Department is sending election monitors to Philadelphia, Allegheny, Lehigh and Luzerne counties. Deputy Secretary of the Commonwealth Jonathan Marks told counties the monitors have no specific authority to enter restricted areas, inspect equipment or access records, Spotlight PA reported. Massachusetts is hosting federal monitors too; we explained their role in what federal election monitors can and can’t do.

When results will come

Counties could begin processing mail ballots only on Election Day morning, so full unofficial results in competitive races may take days, Spotlight PA reported. Unofficial results from all 67 counties will be posted at electionreturns.pa.gov after 8 p.m. Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt said “carefully counting ballots takes time” and urged patience, noting that provisional and military and overseas ballots are counted after Election Day, according to the Department of State.

Schmidt has said voting rules are unchanged for this election despite court fights over a federal executive order on mail voting, WHYY reported; a federal judge’s injunction blocking the new Postal Service requirements remained in place at last report.

The Boston Report will not call races. We will report calls made by the AP and other named news organizations. For Massachusetts voting, see Boston Election Day turnout, and for more national coverage visit our politics news page.

Sources

• Pennsylvania Department of State: Nov. 3, 2026, is the General Election
• Pennsylvania Department of State: Important information ahead of the general election
• Spotlight PA: Election Day live updates
• Spotlight PA: PA Election Day 2026 voting FAQs
• City & State Pennsylvania: A guide to Pennsylvania’s 2026 race for governor
• PhillyVoice: Four Pa. Republicans in competitive House races
• WPXI via Yahoo News: Key races in Pennsylvania that could sway the House
• WHYY: Pennsylvania election chief says voting will continue as usual