Josh Shapiro won a second term as governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on Tuesday night, defeating his Republican opponent State Treasurer Stacy Garrity. He became the fifth consecutive Democratic governor to win a second term in Pennsylvania.
The Associated Press made the call at 8:02 p.m.
“Pennsylvania, with your vision and your votes, you declared that we are ready to keep getting stuff done and moving this Commonwealth forward. Tonight, you declared that we are ready to keep delivering results — and that we reject the chaos, cruelty, and corruption in Washington, D.C.,” said Shapiro. “Over the last four years, we’ve gotten a lot done — growing our economy, making our communities safer, investing in our kids’ education, and protecting our freedoms and democracy. I could not be more humbled and grateful for the opportunity to keep serving as your Governor — and I am ready to keep fighting and delivering for you every single day. Thank you, Pennsylvania.”
Since the Pennsylvania Constitution was amended in 1967 to allow governors to serve consecutive terms, the average margin of victory for an incumbent governor winning reelection is 18.46 percentage points.
If you include Tom Corbett’s 2014 defeat—the only time a Pennsylvania incumbent has lost a reelection bid—the average net margin for all incumbents seeking a second term is 14.43 percentage points.
A potential candidate for President, Shapiro has sidestepped the question during the general election campaign, saying that he is focused on serving the people of Pennsylvania. But now the question will move to the front burner.
“Today, our neighbors across Pennsylvania came out, exercised their rights as Americans, and made their voices heard,” said Garrity in a concession speech. “This is something all Pennsylvanians, of all political stripes, should be proud of.
“A few minutes ago, I called the governor and spoke with him, and I congratulated him on his victory. While today’s results are not what any of us had hoped for, I stand before you tonight with a heart full of gratitude.”
| Year | Incumbent Governor | Party | Result | Margin |
| 1974 | Milton Shapp | D | Won | +8.55% (53.66% to 45.11%) |
| 1982 | Dick Thornburgh | R | Won | +2.73% (50.84% to 48.11%) |
| 1990 | Bob Casey Sr. | D | Won | +35.3% (67.6% to 32.3%) |
| 1998 | Tom Ridge | R | Won | +26.4% (57.4% to 31.0%) |
| 2006 | Ed Rendell | D | Won | +20.7% (60.4% to 39.6%) |
| 2014 | Tom Corbett | R | Lost | -9.8% (45.1% to 54.9%) |
| 2018 | Tom Wolf | D | Won | +17.1% (57.8% to 40.7%) |
Largest Margin of Victory Since World War II
| Year | Winner | Opponent | Margin |
| 1990 | Bob Casey Sr. (D) | Barbara Hafer (R) | 35.3% (1,077,818) |
| 1998 | Tom Ridge (R) | Ivan Itkin (D), Peg Luksik | 26.49% (798,099) |
| 2006 | Ed Rendell (D) | Lynn Swann (R) | 20.72% (848,382) |
| 1946 | James Duff (R) | John Rice (D) | 17.85% (557,515) |
| 2018 | Tom Wolf (D) | Tom Corbett (R) | 17.07% (855,770) |
| 2022 | Josh Shapiro (D) | Doug Mastriano (R) | 14.40% (792,660) |
| 1970 | Milton Shapp (D) | Raymond Broderick (R) | 13.52% (500,175) |
updated to include Shapiro, Garrity quotes
