Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro easily defeated Republican state Treasurer Stacy Garrity in his re-election bid, NBC News projects.
\n\nShapiro, a potential 2028 Democratic presidential contender, did not face much competition from Garrity, who trailed by double digits in polls in the run-up to Election Day and was vastly outpaced in fundraising.
\n\nThe substantial victory in a key battleground gives Shapiro a springboard into a potential White House bid. In the closing weeks of the contest, he launched a federal political action committee, New Path PAC, his first official step into national politics, which his campaign said was done so he could help congressional candidates in his state.
\n\nShapiro enjoys solid approval ratings in his state, though voters are more mixed on whether he should seek the presidency. He spent much of the campaign seeking to boost downballot House candidates locked in much closer swing races, which could determine control of the chamber, as well as state legislators who could give Democrats full control in Harrisburg for the first time in more than 30 years.
\n\nGarrity, meanwhile, struggled to break through in the race, and polling showed a large chunk of voters were unfamiliar with her candidacy. Republicans had cleared the…
Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/