00:01 - Good afternoon.

00:02 - I'm Francine Scherzer, senior vice president of politics policy at TXN.

00:07 - President of the Pennsylvania Press Club and your host for today's luncheon.

00:11 - Joining me at the table is David Taylor, president

00:13 - and CEO of the Pennsylvania Manufacturers Association.

00:17 - And Todd, each is

00:18 - president of the Broadband Communications Association of Pennsylvania.

00:22 - Thank you for your support.

00:23 - And thank you for being here.

00:26 - The Pennsylvania Press Club luncheon series could not be possible

00:29 - without the support

00:29 - of the generous organizations listed on our sponsor banner.

00:33 - Today's luncheon is being taped and will be carried

00:35 - throughout Pennsylvania to the television and streaming audience of PCN.

00:39 - Our speaker today is State Treasurer and Republican candidate

00:42 - for governor, Stacey Garrity, Republican, retired U.S.

00:46 - Army Reserve colonel, businesswoman, and our Commonwealth 78th treasurer Stacey

00:51 - Garrity has lived a life of service

00:52 - to her nation, Commonwealth and to her community.

00:56 - In uniform.

00:56 - Stacey rose to the rank of colonel in the U.S.

00:59 - Army Reserve, serving three deployments in defense of our nation.

01:03 - Operation Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi

01:05 - Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom.

01:09 - While prisoner abuse scandals raged, it was Stacey Garrity who emerged as

01:13 - a national leader in managing internment camps for enemy combatants.

01:17 - She led the camp secure and American troops safe

01:19 - without a single complaint of abuse from Iraqi soldiers interned on her watch.

01:24 - Stacey was twice awarded the Bronze Star and received the Legion of Merit.

01:28 - Being hailed as Angel of the desert for her service at home.

01:32 - Stacey Garrity emerged as a groundbreaking Pennsylvania business leader,

01:36 - rising from accountant to global at Global Tungsten and Powders Corp.,

01:40 - becoming the first of two female vice presidents at the company.

01:44 - Now, as our Commonwealth's treasurer, Stacey focused on cutting waste,

01:48 - eliminating taxpayer abuse and bringing transparency to Pennsylvania's government.

01:53 - She understands firsthand the challenges hardworking Pennsylvania families face.

01:57 - She brings the same common sense that people use to manage

02:00 - their own finances to the treasurer's office.

02:03 - Stacey works every day to protect more than 170 billion in state assets,

02:08 - serving as a fiscal watchdog for programs like Pennsylvania's 529 College

02:13 - and Career Savings Program, where she has saved account holders nearly $17 million.

02:18 - For her leadership in spearheading the Pennsylvania Able Savings Program

02:22 - for individuals with disabilities, Stacey was elected the inaugural chair

02:27 - and National Able Savings Plan Network by her fellow state treasurers.

02:31 - Stacey's work as our treasurer has directly touched

02:34 - the lives of millions of Pennsylvania families,

02:36 - with more than $1 billion returned to the rightful owners

02:39 - and nearly 10 million returned to Pennsylvania taxpayers

02:42 - through the Treasury's Money Match program.

02:45 - Each year, the Treasury saves Pennsylvania taxpayers nearly $50 million

02:50 - by identifying overpayments and duplicate payments to the Commonwealth.

02:54 - As a veteran, Stacey is also focused on returning hundreds

02:57 - of military decorations being safeguarded in the Treasury vault.

03:01 - Returning more than 450 military decorations to veterans who earned them

03:05 - or their families, including 11 Purple Hearts and three Bronze Stars.

03:10 - Now, Stacey Garrity is running for governor to continue her service

03:13 - to Pennsylvania as our Commonwealth's 49th governor.

03:16 - She will apply the lessons she learned and experiences she encountered

03:19 - as a successful businesswoman, soldier, and public servant

03:23 - to make Pennsylvania the Keystone State, grow as a business and to raise a family.

03:28 - For all of

03:29 - that, Stacey accomplished, Stacey has never forgotten where she came from.

03:33 - A native of Bradford County.

03:34 - Stacey is a graduate of Sayre High School and Bloomsburg

03:37 - University of Pennsylvania, later receiving a certificate

03:41 - from Cornell University Business Management Institute.

03:44 - Stacey serves on the board of the Bradford County United Way

03:47 - and is a trustee of the Guthrie Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre.

03:51 - Stacey resides in Bradford

03:53 - County with her husband Dan, and worships at Christian Life Church.

03:57 - We bring to you Stacey Garrity.

04:07 - Thank you.

04:08 - Thank you, Francine, for the introduction.

04:10 - So it is such a pleasure to join you today.

04:14 - And I wanted to join you, the PA press

04:17 - corps, with my first speech of the year.

04:20 - Unlike my opponent, who talks to the national press first.

04:25 - So serving as Pennsylvania State

04:27 - Treasurer has been one of the great honors of my life.

04:31 - Having 13 million Pennsylvanians trust me to manage

04:35 - our Commonwealth's finances is no small responsibility.

04:40 - The basic duties of the treasurer are important enough,

04:43 - but we've tried to do so much more.

04:46 - Unlike our current governor, I didn't spend my career climbing

04:50 - the political ladder, and the treasurer was never a stepping stone for me.

04:55 - I saw serving as Pennsylvania's treasurer as an opportunity

04:59 - to use the skills I learned in uniform

05:04 - and in business to give back.

05:07 - I was committed to having an impactful tenure as your treasurer

05:11 - to make a difference, and I think we have.

05:15 - We reduced PA 5 to 9 College and career savings plans fees by.

05:19 - Francine I'm going to update your numbers a little bit here by over $22 million.

05:24 - Our plan is gold rated, making it one of two states

05:28 - that have been gold rated for three consecutive years.

05:31 - We've tripled assets under par able

05:34 - helping over 11,500

05:37 - Pennsylvanians with disabilities and special needs.

05:40 - And our payable program is the fifth

05:43 - largest in the entire nation

05:47 - through the creation of Pennsylvania Money Match.

05:49 - We've removed red tape and returned over $50 million

05:53 - to Pennsylvania taxpayers,

05:56 - and we've returned over $1 billion in unclaimed property to Pennsylvania

06:01 - taxpayers.

06:03 - We've also returned 585 military decorations,

06:07 - including 13 Purple Hearts, three Bronze Stars,

06:11 - and a Gold Star Medal to the veterans who earn them or their families.

06:17 - So I guess you could say we've gotten

06:19 - stuff done.

06:22 - You see, getting stuff done.

06:24 - It's not a catchy political tagline.

06:28 - It's something I've prided myself in

06:30 - accomplishing at every point in my life

06:34 - because I believe actions speak far louder than words.

06:38 - During my 30 years in the Army, I served

06:40 - three combat deployments, all to the Middle East.

06:43 - And whether it was my deployment as part of Operation Desert Storm,

06:48 - Operation Iraqi

06:49 - Freedom, or Operation Enduring Freedom.

06:53 - None were easy.

06:55 - We did more than just the bare minimum you should expect from a command.

06:59 - We changed lives in our internment facility in the desert.

07:04 - So I will never forget during my second deployment.

07:07 - And this was at Camp Bucca in southern Iraq.

07:09 - We had about 10,000 enemy combatants.

07:11 - So it was kind of a typical day.

07:13 - So you can kind of picture it.

07:15 - Sandstorms, like you wouldn't believe, 130 degrees.

07:18 - I'm wearing my body armor

07:20 - and running around doing my thing and I get a call from the gate.

07:23 - So am I radio, so I answer.

07:25 - I think my callsign was vigilance one, and my folks said

07:29 - the Marines just dropped off and of course took off.

07:33 - And Iraqi woman and her three kids

07:35 - and I said, guys, we're not a refugee camp.

07:38 - We're an internment facility.

07:39 - They can't come in.

07:41 - Major J, I was a major at the time.

07:43 - You got to come out and see this.

07:44 - So I went out and I will never forget it.

07:47 - So her name was Jamila.

07:49 - She had a black eye.

07:51 - She had a split lip.

07:53 - Her three kids had cigaret burns, and they were hungry

07:56 - because her belly buttons were distended.

07:59 - Now, as you can

08:00 - imagine, no fault divorce is not a thing in Iraq,

08:04 - and women don't have a lot of protections.

08:08 - So of course, we brought her in and we took care of the family.

08:11 - And I think it was about two months later during family visitation,

08:16 - her husband's lawyer comes, wants to talk to me

08:20 - and says that if I don't send her in or three kids back,

08:24 - he's going to come back with a bunch of people.

08:26 - Kill me, Jamila, her three kids.

08:29 - So after about 15 soldiers draw down on them, I said, you go back

08:35 - and you tell your husband to meet me here in two days

08:39 - and I promise you he will never leave camp

08:42 - Buka as long as I'm here.

08:45 - So, as you can imagine, we were able to get Jamila

08:49 - the due process that she deserved.

08:51 - I jumped on a convoy with some of my soldiers.

08:53 - We went into the town of Basra.

08:56 - I judge and I'm pretty sure that I am the only American to

08:59 - get an Iraqi woman divorced.

09:03 - So it was a couple

09:05 - months later, and thank goodness her brother found her

09:08 - through our interpreters and we were able to reunite her with her family.

09:13 - And for a bunch of weeks, I would call once a week

09:16 - to make sure she was okay, to make sure that she was safe.

09:20 - And I will never forget.

09:21 - And it was right before I redeployed to come, you know, came back home.

09:24 - I will never, ever forget the final words that she spoke to me

09:28 - and she said, I love you.

09:31 - So Jamila was one of the individual

09:34 - tragedies of war that's too often lost in the shuffle.

09:39 - Yet we helped solve the individual crisis

09:42 - that had overtaken her whole world.

09:45 - Now, today, all across Pennsylvania,

09:49 - there are individual crises that go unacknowledged and unnoticed.

09:54 - Every day, the elderly woman

09:57 - in Potter County struggling to pay her electric bills,

10:02 - the single mom in Philadelphia

10:03 - trying to put food on the table for her children.

10:07 - The family in Pittsburgh that had an empty chair

10:10 - over the holidays because of fentanyl.

10:14 - All of their pain is real,

10:17 - and it impacts the foundation of our Commonwealth.

10:21 - And the hard truth is

10:23 - that Josh Shapiro has failed all of them.

10:27 - Poverty, abuse, addiction.

10:31 - They're not just an inner city issue.

10:34 - They're cancers plaguing every one of our communities.

10:39 - At the end of the day, those aren't statistics.

10:42 - Those are individual lives.

10:43 - Failed. By Josh Shapiro.

10:45 - The fact of the matter is, Josh Shapiro sticks his head in the sand

10:49 - and blames President Trump for all of our problems.

10:52 - My goodness, he sued the president almost 30 times.

10:56 - But he takes no responsibility for the failures he's caused.

11:01 - I know I struck a nerve when I recently said

11:03 - Josh Shapiro has made Pennsylvania mediocre.

11:07 - And that's because the truth hurts.

11:11 - Pennsylvania is not reaching our potential.

11:14 - And the buck stops at Josh Shapiro's desk

11:18 - for all of his grandstanding.

11:20 - Josh Shapiro cannot explain away the fact that Pennsylvania

11:24 - ranks 38th economically,

11:28 - 39th in education

11:30 - and 41st overall.

11:33 - So he sweeps it under the rug and runs

11:36 - to the nearest TV camera to tout an isolated success.

11:41 - You know as well as anyone the most dangerous place in Harrisburg

11:46 - is standing between Josh Shapiro and a TV camera.

11:50 - And Pennsylvania is less because of it.

11:55 - Josh Shapiro points to one bridge he fixed in Philadelphia.

11:58 - When the national media had the spotlight on

12:02 - my question for Josh Shapiro, what about 3000

12:06 - deficient bridges found in nearly every community across our Commonwealth?

12:12 - Today, Pennsylvania has been

12:14 - given a C minus grade for infrastructure.

12:18 - Now, C minus might be passing to Josh Shapiro, but it's failing to me.

12:23 - That changes in a Garrity administration.

12:26 - As governor, we will take a two pronged approach

12:30 - to upgrading the Commonwealth's infrastructure.

12:32 - We will fix what we have by ending wasteful turnpike transfers.

12:37 - Demand accountability for transit agencies,

12:41 - cut bureaucratic delays, and prioritize freight and economic mobility.

12:46 - Second, we will deploy artificial intelligence

12:49 - to predict maintenance needs, reduce congestion,

12:54 - prevent waste, and deliver projects faster and cheaper.

12:59 - Our infrastructure is not the only area where we will improve.

13:02 - It's just the start.

13:04 - Today, Pennsylvania ranks ninth in spending per student.

13:10 - Yet we ranked 39th in education nationally.

13:14 - By the end of my administration.

13:15 - We will be in the top ten in educating our children.

13:20 - But to do this, we need to be laser focused

13:23 - and putting our children on a path to success.

13:27 - But Josh Shapiro has been all over the map.

13:30 - Josh Shapiro has held not one,

13:34 - not two, but

13:36 - three positions on school choice.

13:39 - I hold one position

13:41 - that parents, not bureaucrats,

13:43 - make the best decisions for their child's future.

13:48 - The only thing

13:49 - that Josh Shapiro has been consistent with is spending more

13:53 - and more of our tax dollars, and with nothing to show for it.

13:58 - This past year, Josh Shapiro increased education

14:01 - spending by almost $900 million.

14:06 - Yet his budget did not include a single new dollar

14:09 - for career and technical education.

14:12 - This is malpractice,

14:15 - according to the governor's own Department of Labor.

14:18 - We are facing a shortfall of 300,000

14:21 - skilled trade workers over the next five years alone.

14:25 - Pennsylvania has a real opportunity to lead,

14:29 - but we need to equip our workforce with the tools for success.

14:34 - As governor, we will start from the ground up by working with school districts

14:39 - to eliminate the achievement gap in the classroom.

14:42 - Today, more than two thirds of eighth graders

14:46 - did not read or do math at grade level.

14:49 - My administration will not reward failing up.

14:53 - We will ensure our children graduate ready to succeed in the 21st century.

14:58 - By requiring students to be able to read at grade level by the third grade,

15:03 - and then make sure they are proficient in math and reading

15:06 - before they can enter high school. By the eighth grade.

15:09 - My administration will expand vocational opportunities

15:13 - and secondary education possibilities for Pennsylvania workers.

15:17 - In the age of AI, equipping workers in this

15:20 - with the skills necessary to thrive today and for years to come.

15:25 - Josh Shapiro is quick

15:27 - to take credit for the success of the private sector

15:30 - and some of Pennsylvania's

15:31 - leading universities when it comes to artificial intelligence.

15:35 - When I am governor, we will put the power of artificial intelligence to work

15:40 - to make state government more efficient and effective for Pennsylvanians.

15:46 - I will establish a Pennsylvania Office

15:48 - of Innovation that reports directly to me.

15:52 - Rather than spending $4 million

15:54 - on self-promotion, as Josh Shapiro does.

15:58 - We will invest those resources and empowering this office to identify

16:02 - where technology and I can help state agencies better fulfill their missions

16:08 - and work with them to implement the tools and resources needed to succeed.

16:14 - And we will utilize the God given resources under our feet

16:19 - to fuel the technological revolution of the 21st century.

16:24 - Pennsylvania can power the world,

16:27 - but only if the Shapiro administration

16:30 - stops its moratorium on drilling.

16:33 - The Marcellus Shale and the Utica Shale below it

16:37 - are the key to American energy independence,

16:41 - and with it come hundreds of thousands

16:44 - of good paying jobs in places like my home in Bradford County.

16:49 - The benefits of Pennsylvania energy development.

16:52 - They are real, and it offers generational wealth

16:57 - to communities that have struggled for nearly a century.

17:01 - But natural gas?

17:02 - Its more than energy independence and a home economics issue.

17:06 - It is key to the Commonwealth's tax base.

17:10 - Over the past decade, billions of dollars

17:13 - in tax revenue have been generated by natural gas development

17:17 - and that revenue can support so many programs

17:20 - necessary to get Pennsylvanians back on their feet.

17:25 - In the recent budget debate.

17:26 - We heard a lot about how to regulate

17:29 - and oversee Pennsylvania's natural gas industry

17:33 - under my administration.

17:35 - The debate will not be about what will replace Reggie.

17:39 - It will be about how we can use our natural gas reserves to amplify

17:44 - Pennsylvania's role in American AI development and beyond.

17:49 - It's that potential that's driven me to run for governor.

17:54 - Pennsylvania has can and should lead.

18:00 - But Josh Shapiro's failures have driven us into mediocrity.

18:06 - I don't accept mediocrity.

18:08 - And I don't believe Pennsylvanians do, either.

18:12 - Pennsylvania is in the bottom

18:14 - of states for economic performance and growth,

18:17 - and above average for family and business tax burdens.

18:22 - With our effective property tax rate

18:24 - one of the highest in the nation.

18:28 - We must tear down these barriers to economic

18:30 - opportunity for families and businesses.

18:33 - And it starts with instilling fiscal discipline in state government

18:38 - and rooting out fraud and ways to lower the cost of government.

18:43 - It includes

18:44 - identifying and eliminating burdensome regulations

18:47 - and cutting useless red tape.

18:51 - And it ends with ensuring that every new dollar

18:54 - generated through renewed economic growth,

18:58 - and every dollar saved by eliminating

19:00 - waste and fraud is returned to taxpayers.

19:04 - With two clear priorities lowering property taxes for seniors

19:10 - so they can remain in their homes,

19:12 - and making sure young people can afford their first home.

19:16 - Every year I travel to all 67 counties.

19:20 - We've been told for decades that Pennsylvania

19:23 - is multiple states all rolled into one.

19:26 - But whether I'm in inner city Philadelphia,

19:30 - the suburban collar counties, the electric city,

19:34 - Presque Isle or the industrial Mon

19:37 - Valley, I see the shared values

19:41 - that have distinguished Pennsylvania since its founding.

19:45 - There is a wonderful work ethic in our neighbors that is second to none.

19:50 - There are untapped resources beneath our feet.

19:54 - There are the envy of the world,

19:56 - and we are seated in the heart of American commerce.

20:00 - That should make us a global hub for economic growth.

20:04 - And that's why I am so hopeful about what the future holds for our Commonwealth,

20:09 - but only if we expect accept responsibility that comes with leading.

20:16 - But that's not what Josh Shapiro does.

20:19 - Josh Shapiro has taken his eye off the ball

20:23 - because he's more concerned with Pennsylvania Avenue

20:26 - than solving the problems that facing Pennsylvania

20:29 - families in 2026.

20:32 - I'm running for governor to do what I've always done

20:37 - serve my community,

20:39 - serve my commonwealth,

20:41 - and serve my country.

20:44 - I'm running for governor to fix all of Josh Shapiro's messes.

20:48 - Josh Shapiro has dug us a deep hole, and it will take all of us to get out of it.

20:53 - I learned firsthand that when you're in a foxhole,

20:56 - your battle buddy doesn't ask what your political affiliation is.

21:01 - He wants to know that you have his back.

21:04 - And I have Pennsylvania's back.

21:07 - And when I was sworn in as treasurer,

21:09 - I didn't do what my predecessors would have done.

21:11 - I didn't fire staff from the other party,

21:14 - because when I look at my staff,

21:17 - I don't see Republicans or Democrats.

21:19 - I see more than 300 hardworking

21:22 - Pennsylvanians trying to give back to their community.

21:26 - This will be my approach as governor,

21:28 - because I see 13 million Pennsylvanians

21:32 - who want to be part of the solution.

21:36 - 13 million Pennsylvanians who believe we can lead,

21:40 - and 13 million Pennsylvanians who understand

21:44 - we need real change in Harrisburg

21:46 - if we hope to achieve our potential.

21:51 - Thank you so much, and I look forward

21:53 - to taking your questions.

22:03 - What Lieutenant governor candidates have been floated to you,

22:05 - and who seems to be the strongest to compliment your campaign?

22:09 - Oh my goodness.

22:10 - So, of course, you know, we didn't know

22:13 - until last week.

22:17 - What Senator Mastriano would be running for.

22:19 - So now there's a lot of renewed interest.

22:21 - We're talking to a lot of people, and I can tell you that I am so confident

22:26 - that we will find a lieutenant governor that is perfect for the ticket.

22:35 - And a non-answer.

22:39 - How would you handle a budget

22:40 - impasse knowing revenue is not keeping up with expenses?

22:43 - How would you address mounting key human service needs?

22:47 - Involving child welfare?

22:49 - Okay, so what I did during this last budget

22:52 - impasse is we offered a budget bridge loan,

22:55 - and that was to help vulnerable populations because it's not vulnerable

22:59 - populations that legislators can't get a budget enacted on time.

23:02 - So we pushed out about $50 million to Head

23:06 - Start pre-K, rape and abuse crisis centers and domestic violence.

23:10 - And I have to tell you

23:11 - that if it would have dragged out longer, we were going to have to go ahead

23:14 - and go back and look at possibly schools and some, some other areas.

23:18 - So I have to say that,

23:21 - there would not be a budget impasse because I would never leave Harrisburg.

23:24 - We need somebody that's going to show up,

23:25 - roll up their sleeves and get the job done.

23:27 - And then I have to say this

23:29 - after an acting a budget that was four and a half months late,

23:33 - we're spending almost $5

23:35 - billion more than what we're bringing in.

23:38 - So we've essentially burned through the entire surplus.

23:42 - And you all know what's left, right?

23:44 - The only thing that's left is the rainy day fund.

23:47 - And we should never use a rainy day fund to plug a budget hole.

23:52 - With your background as a state treasurer, how would you take

23:55 - on waste, fraud, and abuse like we've seen in the state of Minnesota?

24:00 - That is a great question.

24:02 - So right now, as treasurer, we make every single payment in the Commonwealth.

24:06 - That's about 20 million payments a year.

24:08 - Fun fact three and a half payments a second.

24:11 - And so in my office we have a periodic function.

24:14 - And even though by the time

24:16 - we get the payment request, it's gone through two agencies.

24:19 - We set up $2 billion a year in improper payments.

24:24 - So think about what we have every other agency.

24:28 - So we have to self audit.

24:30 - We have to check the rules. We have to see who is.

24:33 - You know we have to see who's getting Medicaid.

24:36 - And I mean, every agency, even if you look at Department of Revenue,

24:41 - they spend millions and millions of dollars

24:43 - a year of our taxpayer dollars giving people their refunds late.

24:46 - I mean, that's just crazy.

24:48 - So I think there is a lot of room for efficiency in government.

24:54 - Yesterday's Harrisburg Patriot-News reported

24:56 - Republicans in Congress are beginning to splinter with President Trump.

25:00 - Are there any issues on which you disagree with President Trump?

25:05 - I think President Trump

25:06 - is really focused on affordability, which is the right thing.

25:11 - And, you know, these issues are largely between he and Congress.

25:15 - But I think you're probably referring to the ACA or whoever asked the question.

25:20 - So, you know, I am confident

25:23 - that they're going to find a way to basically reform it,

25:29 - because what the tragedy is, if you look at just our own state,

25:33 - which with this is really a shame.

25:37 - The health insurance providers ask for a reimbursement rate, and Josh Shapiro

25:41 - has gone ahead and basically given them almost double that reimbursement

25:45 - rate.

25:48 - How should

25:48 - policymakers address voter distrust of AI and data centers?

25:52 - So far, many advocates say

25:53 - their concerns have been overlooked by local or state officials.

25:57 - I think you have to engage with the community.

25:59 - I see, you know, there

26:02 - 48 out of 67 of our counties in Pennsylvania rural.

26:06 - So there are a lot of, areas where you can put data centers.

26:09 - And I think communities would welcome. But you have to engage with them.

26:12 - You have to talk to them.

26:12 - You can't just, jam it down their throats.

26:15 - And then as far as I,

26:16 - in Treasury, we have an AI policy, and I think we are the first agency

26:20 - in the state, maybe the first Treasury in the nation to have an AI policy.

26:24 - So you just absolutely have to make sure you have the guardrails around it

26:28 - that you need to.

26:28 - Because the most important thing is to protect the PII.

26:31 - And Pennsylvania Treasury has the PII of,

26:35 - you know, just everybody in the Commonwealth.

26:37 - And so that's when you ask me what keeps me up at night, it's always cyber.

26:42 - And, making sure that we protect, you know, people, taxpayers information

26:48 - that's top of mind.

26:50 - How would your style of governing differ from that of Governor Shapiro?

26:54 - Oh my goodness.

26:56 - So you couldn't get any, more different.

26:59 - So I am not a career politician.

27:00 - You all know this is my first,

27:04 - public office.

27:05 - Okay, so you all know I spent 30 years in the Army Reserve.

27:09 - You have one mission.

27:10 - You have to get it done.

27:11 - It doesn't matter if people disagree or don't disagree with you.

27:14 - So. Spent 30 years in manufacturing.

27:16 - So, I, I know what it's like.

27:19 - I mean, my whole life is around service and, not political ambition.

27:23 - So I would, you know, show up is the biggest thing.

27:26 - Roll up your sleeves and get the job done.

27:30 - What is your position on abortion?

27:33 - Okay, so my position on abortion has never changed.

27:37 - I am pro-life.

27:38 - Okay.

27:38 - But I am for exceptions now, the only extreme position

27:44 - is my opponent, who believes that you should be able

27:46 - to have an abortion for any reason, at any time,

27:50 - using your taxpayer dollars.

27:56 - Given President Trump's rescheduling of marijuana, would

27:59 - legal adult use be part of your revenue vision as governor?

28:04 - I don't think there's this much revenue

28:06 - and legalization of marijuana, as you would think.

28:11 - I'm friends with the Treasury of Ohio.

28:13 - They legalized it just over a year ago, and I called him to see

28:16 - how much revenue it was generating, and it was under $300 million a year.

28:20 - And so then I think when you look at what we're getting from medical marijuana,

28:23 - there's probably some left pocket, right pocket there as well.

28:26 - So I don't think that's where we look.

28:29 - I mean, we need revenue in the state, but where do we look?

28:32 - Right under our feet.

28:33 - We have 25% of all of America's natural gas is right here in Pennsylvania.

28:40 - Pennsylvania is an energy powerhouse, but has been held back

28:43 - by the prospect of joining the RGGI Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.

28:47 - With that issue finally resolved.

28:49 - How would your administration maximize our energy potential?

28:53 - Well that's easy.

28:54 - Well, first of all, just so you all know that

28:57 - in Josh Shapiro's lightning plan, he has another cap and trade in there.

29:01 - Okay, so he hasn't given up on cap and trade.

29:05 - All right.

29:06 - And he also has a lot more, in alternative energy

29:11 - takes what we currently have and increases it 335%.

29:15 - So basically I would get rid

29:18 - of, you know, we have too many regulations

29:21 - in state where I think the 12th highest regulated state in the nation.

29:24 - So we need to do that.

29:26 - You know, we need to reform DEP, which I call don't expect a permit.

29:32 - And we we need to be welcoming to business.

29:34 - We need to be like jobs. Ohio.

29:38 - And we can do it.

29:39 - We don't have to be mediocre.

29:41 - We could be leading the nation.

29:44 - You told Mehmet Oz about Trump in 2022.

29:47 - We know he won, referring to Trump's 2020 election loss.

29:51 - Do you believe Trump won in Pennsylvania in 2020?

29:53 - And would you spread election and election misinformation

29:56 - if you were to lose in 26?

30:00 - Absolutely not.

30:01 - And just to be clear, that was at a Trump rally.

30:04 - And it's, you know, those are kind of fun things.

30:07 - And it's, and I didn't say it to Oz.

30:10 - I said it directly to the president.

30:13 - So it's easy to get caught up in a Trump rally.

30:15 - But I have to tell you that after the the 2020 election,

30:20 - I know Joe Biden was the president painfully aware of it.

30:23 - And I've said his name hundreds and hundreds of times in speeches

30:26 - that I gave is a treasure.

30:29 - Do you support the suit against the Trump administration

30:32 - to protect the privacy of Pennsylvania voters,

30:35 - or the suit to restore 230 million in funding canceled by the Trump

30:39 - administration for schools to buy student

30:41 - tech supplies and fund family literacy programs?

30:45 - I'm not quite familiar with the second one.

30:47 - The first one was voter, voter rolls.

30:51 - Yeah, well,

30:53 - here's the thing.

30:54 - It's very interesting to me that all of the red states

30:57 - have provided the voter rolls, and all of the blue states have not.

31:00 - And so I just have to ask myself, what is the reason for that?

31:04 - So, so yeah, I would comply with it

31:06 - and hopefully we would be proactive and be doing our own audits.

31:11 - You know, initially, because if there is fraud

31:16 - and we know we have sanctuary cities, right,

31:19 - then we should one root it out because we should want to keep those

31:22 - that money for hardworking Pennsylvanians.

31:26 - How would a Governor Garrity deal with a president

31:28 - putting Ice enforcement on the streets in your state?

31:32 - Okay.

31:32 - So, I mean, military police spent 30 years in the Army.

31:37 - And so the most important thing that you can do as governor

31:40 - is make sure you have safe communities and make sure that people are safe.

31:44 - And so I think it takes a cooperative effort,

31:46 - effort at every level of law enforcement.

31:49 - So if everybody works together, that can be accomplished.

31:52 - And you can see how, states that cooperate,

31:56 - the results are far

31:57 - different than states that have not been cooperative.

32:01 - If elected governor, do you pledge to serve all for all four years?

32:05 - I absolutely pledge to serve all four years.

32:08 - And you might want to ask my opponent the same.

32:13 - If you become governor,

32:14 - would you bring state employees back to work in the offices?

32:18 - I sure would.

32:18 - My employees are back.

32:20 - They've been back since June of 21.

32:23 - And, I have to tell you,

32:25 - I was told when they came back that, oh, everybody's going to quit.

32:28 - And I said to you, guess how many people

32:31 - quit out of 351?

32:34 - And he was going to quit anyway.

32:37 - So I think,

32:38 - you know, people don't like change, but after they're back

32:41 - for a couple of weeks, they'll appreciate being with their colleagues.

32:45 - And I think as taxpayers, I'm a taxpayer.

32:48 - I want government employees to come back to the office.

32:51 - And it's better for Harrisburg as well.

32:53 - Look at all the empty buildings we have.

32:55 - Look at all the establishments that are suffering.

32:57 - So yeah, I absolutely would.

33:00 - Would you support the suit

33:02 - followed by Shapiro to force the Trump administration to restore $13 million

33:06 - in funding for Pennsylvania food banks to buy produce from Pennsylvania

33:09 - farmers?

33:13 - No. What I would do

33:17 - is, you know,

33:18 - instead of instead of suing for more money, more money, more money.

33:21 - Pennsylvania has 2 million people

33:25 - on Snap benefits, 1.4 million women and children.

33:29 - What I would like to see is, why do we have 15% of Pennsylvanians

33:32 - on entitlements?

33:34 - Instead of trying to give more and more money.

33:36 - Why don't we help people out of poverty?

33:38 - Give them a hand up.

33:40 - That's what I would do.

33:43 - In a 2025 poll,

33:44 - around 75% of Pennsylvanians did not know who you are.

33:47 - How do you plan to increase name recognition this year?

33:50 - Right. So we're working hard at that.

33:54 - And that's that's true.

33:55 - So Josh Shapiro has never been challenged.

33:59 - He's never even had an ad aired against him.

34:03 - And because he's never been challenged.

34:05 - People don't know what he really stands for.

34:08 - They don't know that he supports biological males competing

34:11 - against our girls in sports.

34:13 - They don't know that he supports gender affirming care for trans little kids.

34:17 - Little kids.

34:18 - Using your taxpayer dollars.

34:21 - They don't know that he supports zero work requirement,

34:25 - not even 20 hours a week for able bodied people that don't have kids

34:29 - that aren't caretakers, that aren't disabled.

34:32 - They don't know that we're out of money.

34:37 - They don't know that the budget we just passed four and a half months

34:39 - late, that we spent $4.8 billion more than what we brought in.

34:43 - So we're going to have the resources that we need

34:45 - to get the message out to educate folks and to to let them know.

34:49 - I mean, my husband, we were talking a few months ago,

34:52 - and he said he's lived in Pennsylvania about 22 years.

34:55 - And he said, you know, I didn't think about this till I hear you talking

34:59 - all the time.

35:00 - That how mediocre we are.

35:02 - He said, I just thought that that's this is the way it is,

35:06 - and it has to be that way.

35:07 - And my husband is absolutely not political.

35:09 - So if he feels that way, can you imagine how many people don't understand,

35:13 - the what, what we have here in this beautiful state

35:17 - and that we could be leading the nation in all areas.

35:23 - Do you anticipate President Trump

35:24 - will endorse you, run for governor?

35:28 - I would be honored to have the president's endorsement.

35:31 - Right now, working hard, going all across

35:35 - Pennsylvania to get the endorsement of 13 million Pennsylvanians.

35:38 - But what I will tell you is that I will work with the Trump administration.

35:42 - Unlike Josh Shapiro, who has sued the president

35:45 - almost 30 times now.

35:48 - I will work with President Trump to make sure that Pennsylvania gets

35:51 - back on the right track.

35:55 - In consideration of the harassment scandal and Governor Shapiro's office

35:58 - and some criticizing his comments about female lawmakers like Kim Ward

36:02 - as demeaning.

36:03 - Do you believe the Shapiro administration is sexist, yes

36:06 - or no?

36:09 - Well, anybody

36:11 - that deletes her emails after there was

36:14 - a sexual harassment claim in their office and pays off,

36:18 - the young lady, $285,000.

36:21 - I don't think that that's such a,

36:24 - female friendly administration.

36:27 - And, I told you my story.

36:29 - So you guys know that, I protect women, while

36:33 - Josh Shapiro does it, and you don't have to look any further than that.

36:36 - As well as the, Greenberg scandal where she was stabbed 20 some times.

36:42 - I don't know how many times in the back.

36:43 - And that was also ruled as a suicide.

36:47 - So. So there there are a lot of

36:50 - scandals in the administration.

36:51 - Not just, not just with the the sexual harassment.

36:56 - As a candidate for governor in a volatile, volatile time.

37:00 - Are you concerned about your safety?

37:01 - Do you agree that perhaps the governor's personal residence may need security?

37:06 - So as far as my own safety, if people have to come all the way

37:10 - to Bradford County to figure out where I live,

37:12 - I don't think they will go to all that trouble.

37:16 - Be difficult to find.

37:18 - As far as the governor, everybody wants the governor and his family to be safe.

37:22 - Everybody.

37:23 - The questions on the personal,

37:25 - residents, I think, you know, they're around.

37:29 - I think it's fine.

37:30 - I support the legislation where when his house is sell sold, that

37:34 - there's a lien on it so that taxpayers can get the money

37:36 - that they, use to upgrade his security measures.

37:39 - But again, I think everybody can agree it doesn't matter what party.

37:44 - Your party

37:44 - affiliation is that we want the governor to be safe.

37:48 - Last question for this afternoon.

37:50 - Being a newcomer to Harrisburg when you were first elected,

37:54 - what was the most surprising thing you learned over

37:56 - the past few years working in state government?

37:58 - And what should business leaders know looking in from the outside?

38:03 - That there's not a lot of courage in Harrisburg.

38:07 - That was what surprised me.

38:09 - The second thing that surprised me was I thought there would be more bureaucrats

38:13 - and treasury that there are instead, there are so many hardworking,

38:17 - wonderful people

38:18 - that just care about Pennsylvanians and want to give back to their community.

38:23 - And, as far as legislators, I think,

38:29 - I think that we should try to recruit

38:31 - more that have done something else with their lives.

38:34 - I don't think we need career politicians.

38:36 - I think somebody should have ran a small business, worked up manufacturing,

38:40 - perhaps be a veteran, and then come so that then your only ambition is to serve.

38:44 - And that's what it should be about getting reelected.

38:48 - We'd like to thank Stacey Garrity and wish her well.

38:51 - We have some mementos for her.

38:52 - These gifts are compliments of the World Affairs

38:54 - Council of Harrisburg, PCN and the Pennsylvania Press Club.

38:57 - In closing, we want to thank you for being with us.

38:59 - Our next luncheon is Monday, February 23rd.

39:02 - Our guest will be Cassandra Coleman, Executive Director of America 250.

39:07 - For scheduling information, visit our website at Press club.org.

39:10 - Thank you all for joining us.

39:18 - You. Do.