Garrity downplays affordability while campaigning for Pa. governor

Pennsylvania State Treasurer Stacy Garrity shifted focus from affordability to licensing undocumented immigrants on a conservative talk radio program.

Affordability issues may have delivered Democrats important election victories in New York, New Jersey, and Virginia earlier this month, but that’s not stopping Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity—Republican candidate for governors—from downplaying the importance of rising prices on the campaign trail. 

Garrity is still a bit of a newcomer to the political scene in Pennsylvania after being elected as state treasurer in 2020. Earlier this year, Pennsylvania Republicans endorsed Garrity to challenge Gov. Josh Shapiro in order to prevent a 2022 repeat between him and State Sen. Doug Mastriano.

Last week, Garrity campaigned in Southwestern Pennsylvania when she  was asked about affordability issues on Dom Giordano’s conservative talk radio program. Instead, she pivoted to talking about commercial drivers licenses (CDL) going to immigrants who cannot speak English. 

“ Honestly, the talk is all about the CDL,” Garrity told Giordano. “It seems like this is an issue all over the place, but the buzz right now is CDLs. It’s not so much affordability.” 

She instead shifted focus on a vaguely-mentioned case of immigrants crashing commercial vehicles and not speaking English.

While Pennsylvanians are facing increasing health care costs, skyrocketing electric bills and an increase in grocery prices, Garrity is going after immigrant truck drivers, who face increased scrutiny from President Donald Trump’s administration and the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Garrity added, “ but affordability is absolutely an issue and in Pennsylvania, we have the fifth highest tax burden. We’re passing budgets that chew through our entire surplus.”

According to a Consumer Affairs report released last July, Pennsylvania has seen an 8.2% increase in grocery prices, the largest increase across the country, since last November. 

A LendingTree report from August found close to 31% of businesses across the country, including 32.2% of businesses in Pennsylvania, are expected to raise prices by the end of the year because of Trump’s tariffs. 

“Tariffs are likely playing a significant role in these concerns, but so is the overall sense of uncertainty that remains in the American economy,” Matt Schultz, Lending Tree’s chief consumer financial analyst said. 

“There are so many unknowns that it’s nearly impossible to predict what the next few weeks will look like, much less six months from now. However, this report makes it clear many businesses see continued rising prices ahead”