UPDATED: 9:45 p.m.
PENNSYLVANIA — Pennsylvanians have determined who will oversee the state for the next four years - Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro or his Republican opponent, state Treasurer Stacy Garrity.
The Associated Press and NBC News have called Shapiro the winner.
As of9 9.45 p.m. state results indicated that Shapiro had1.410407 votes to Garrity's 764,381 tallies.
"I just got off the phone with Stacy Garrity, who wished me well and said she wants to work together to serve the people of Pennsylvania," Shaprio said in a statement.
"We have plenty of disagreements. That's part of a healthy democracy. But I appreciate her service to our commonwealth. The results are still rolling in, but the picture is coming into focus: This is a good night for our commonwealth."
Shapiro entered Election Day as an overwhelming favorite to win a second term. A recent Quinnipiac Univerisy poll indicated that 59 percent of likely voters support Shapiro, 34 percent backed Garrity, 2 percent supported Libertarian Party candidate Krawchuk and 5 percent did not choose a candidate.
Shapiro also had an enormous fundraising edge. He raised more than $13.3 million in the latest fundraising period running from June 6 to Sept 14. During that same time, Garrity raised $1.8 million, meaning an $11.5 million financial gap existed between the candidates.
Shapiro, 53, is a former Montgomery County commissioner and Pennsylvania attorney general. Garrity, 62, is a former colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve and former vice president of Global Tungsten & Powders Corp., a refractory metal powders manufacturer. She was endorsed by President Donald Trump.
Shapiro recently told the League of Women Voters that the most pressing issues facing state residents are good schools, safe communities, good-paying jobs and the protection of the freedoms.
"As governor, I've walked hard to get stuff done on these pressing issues - cutting taxes 10 times, securing over $41 billion in private-sector investment, creating over 25,000 good paying jobs, delivering historic public education funding and improving public safety by supporting law enforcement and violence prevention programs."
Garrity contended to the league that people are being squeezed by higher energy bills, failing schools, rising crime, and a government that spends too much while delivering too little.
"My goals are simple: make life affordable again, give every family real school choice, keep our communities safe, and restore fiscal responsibility in Harrisburg," she said.
"That means unleashing Pennsylvania energy to lower utility bills, empowering parents' on matters of their children's education, standing with law enforcement, and cutting wasteful spending so the next generation inherits
opportunity – not debt."
Regarding Pennsylvania's election process, Shapiro asserted that state elections are free, fair, safe and secure.
"I'm continuing to protect the security of our elections and our democracy in the face of threats from Donald Trump and his allies," he said.
"Since taking office, we've kept our elections secure and strengthened voting rights by implementing automatic voter
registration, redesigning mail-in ballots to reduce errors and support county election workers, launching an easy-to-use online ballot request tool, and providing voter resources in multiple languages."
Garrity said she supports strong voter ID requirements, accurate voter rolls, chain-of-custody protections for
ballots, timely counting, and consistent administrative standards across the state's 67 counties.
"We should expand access for eligible voters through clear rules, early preparation, and well-trained local election officials, while also cracking down on fraud, noncitizen voting, and administrative loopholes. One illegal vote is one too many."
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