Pennsylvania Governor Voter Guide: Shapiro, Garrity and Krawchuk on Schools and Taxes
Three candidates are on the ballot for governor of Pennsylvania on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026: Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro, Republican Stacy Garrity and Libertarian Ken Krawchuk.
The Digital Free Press voter guide video compares the three side by side on schools and taxes. Here is where each one stands, based on the video, the candidates' own words and reporting from Pennsylvania news outlets.
Josh Shapiro (Democrat)
Shapiro is seeking a second term. He served six years as Pennsylvania attorney general and earlier sat on the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners and in the state House, according to the Pennsylvania Capital-Star.
On schools, the video says Shapiro has raised public school funding by more than $3 billion and backs an adequacy formula. WHYY reports that state support for public education has grown by more than $3 billion since he took office, including new money for historically underfunded districts, after a court declared the state's school funding system unconstitutional. The bipartisan 2026-27 budget he signed adds $565 million through the adequacy and tax equity formula, according to his administration.
On taxes, the video says Shapiro has proposed continued business tax cuts in his budget agenda. His 2026-27 budget summary says his administration has saved businesses more than $2.9 billion by lowering the Corporate Net Income Tax rate. "We've cut taxes ten times," Shapiro told the Capital-Star, pointing to the Working Pennsylvanians Tax Credit and an expanded Property Tax/Rent Rebate program.
Stacy Garrity (Republican)
Garrity is Pennsylvania's state treasurer and served as a colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve, where she was twice awarded the Bronze Star, according to the Capital-Star.
On schools, the video says Garrity favors school choice with more support for charter, cyber charter and private schools. WHYY describes her approach the same way. Her platform calls for Lifeline Scholarships and expanding the state's Educational Improvement Tax Credit and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit programs, WGAL reported.
On taxes, the video says Garrity would rebate property taxes from existing state funds and cut taxes on electric bills. She told the Capital-Star she would immediately cap school property taxes, require voter approval for increases above one-half of 1%, and cut local property taxes by one-third through expanded rebates. Her affordability plan also calls for reducing or eliminating the gross receipts tax on utilities, which she says could lower bills by 15% to 25%, WGAL reported.
Ken Krawchuk (Libertarian)
Krawchuk, a Philadelphia native, radio host and author, founded an IT firm. He ran for governor as a Libertarian in 1998, 2002 and 2018, according to the Capital-Star. Spotlight PA reports he is the only third-party candidate for governor on the ballot.
On schools, the video says Krawchuk favors completely privatizing schools and eliminating school property taxes. He told the Capital-Star he would send state and federal school funding, about $11,500 per pupil, directly to families as scholarships and phase out school districts over five years.
On taxes, the video says Krawchuk wants to phase out the personal income tax and abolish property taxes. His campaign site says he would introduce budgets that eliminate the state personal income tax over four years, and he has pledged to veto every tax increase and use the line-item veto to cut spending.
Where to Follow the Candidates
Josh Shapiro: @JoshShapiroPA on X and @joshshapiropa on TikTok. Stacy Garrity: @GarrityForPA on X and @garrityforpa on TikTok. Ken Krawchuk: @KenK4Pa on X.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. This guide is for information only; The Digital Free Press does not endorse any candidate.
Yossi Schmidt, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, The Digital Free Press
Hold Everyone Accountable.
Sources: Pennsylvania Capital-Star, Voter Guide, Governor: https://penncapital-star.com/voter-guides/contests/2026-general-governor/ ; WHYY, "PA election 2026: Governor voter guide: Shapiro vs. Garrity": https://whyy.org/articles/election-2026-pennsylvania-governor-voter-guide-shapiro-garrity/ ; Spotlight PA, "PA governor race: Your guide to the candidates" (September 2026): https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2026/09/josh-shapiro-stacy-garrity-pennsylvania-governor-election-guide-elections/ ; WGAL, "Where does Stacy Garrity stand on the issues?": https://www.wgal.com/article/pa-stacy-garrity-priorities-stance-on-key-issues/73772839 ; Pennsylvania DCED, "Governor Shapiro Signs Bipartisan 2026-27 Budget": https://dced.pa.gov/newsroom/governor-shapiro-signs-bipartisan-2026-27-budget-securing-major-priorities-from-his-budget-proposal-including-historic-investments-in-education-more-funding-for-vo-tech-more-state-troopers-and-chi/ ; Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 2026-27 Budget in Brief: https://www.pa.gov/content/dam/copapwp-pagov/en/budget/documents/publications-and-reports/commonwealthbudget/2026-27-budget-documents/2026-27%20budget%20in%20brief.final.web.v.2.pdf ; Ken Krawchuk campaign, Taxes: https://www.kenk4pa.com/issues/taxes/ ; Josh Shapiro campaign: https://joshshapiro.org/ ; Stacy Garrity campaign: https://garrityforpa.com/
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