Josh Shapiro Wins Second Term as Pennsylvania Governor in Midterm Election

Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro won a second term as Pennsylvania governor in Tuesday's midterm election, defeating Republican nominee Stacy Garrity. The Associated Press called the race shortly after 8:00 p.m. ET, minutes after polls closed. With 7 percent of the vote reported at 8:19 p.m. ET, the New York Times showed Shapiro leading Garrity 80.8 percent to 18.4 percent. Shapiro had led comfortably in October polling: a Quinnipiac University poll of 1,159 likely voters showed him up 25 points, a PennLive poll had him ahead by 30, and a Franklin & Marshall poll gave him a 23-point edge. In September he held $19.8 million in cash on hand to Garrity's $1.3 million, City and State Pennsylvania reported. On Tuesday, President Trump posted on X reaffirming his support for Garrity and calling Shapiro radical and dangerous. Shapiro has criticized Trump, most recently in a Sunday interview on CBS's Face the Nation. NBC News reported that Democrats were projected to gain full control of Congress after winning both the House and Senate in the midterms, and Shapiro discussed the party's future.

Breitbart, the right-leaning outlet, leads with the race call and treats the win as a lopsided contest, citing early vote percentages, three October polls, the fundraising gap and Trump's attack on Shapiro, including his accusations on taxes, borders and transgender issues. Its headline labels him a Democrat and the piece highlights his criticism of Trump. The left-leaning outlets look past the result. NBC News frames it as an interview about the Democratic Party's future, tying Shapiro's win to projected Democratic control of both chambers of Congress. The Atlantic's headline presents him as a Democrat winning over voters in Trump country and says he is looking beyond his own reelection. Both sides agree Shapiro won reelection, but they differ in focus: Breitbart emphasizes margins, money and Trump's opposition, while NBC and The Atlantic emphasize Shapiro's national role and the party's prospects. Alternative and independent outlets had not reported this story at the time of writing, while left- and right-leaning outlets had.