Shapiro sets Q1 fundraising record with $10.5M haul; Garrity reports $1M in contributions

You don’t win a game in the first quarter.

Just ask the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI – or 51 if you have difficulty computing those Latin numbers – who led the New England Patriots, 28-3, at halftime before losing in overtime.

But you can sure put some distance between yourself and the competition in the first quarter.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has done just that, after his campaign reported contributions and receipts totaling $10.498 million in the quarter ending March 31.

In contrast, his probable Republican challenger – State Treasurer Stacy Garrity – reported that her campaign bought in just over $1 million.

That’s a larger difference than the distance between your thumb and index finger.

If that was not enough, Shapiro reports that his campaign has over $36 million cash on hand moving forward during the 2026 election cycle. Garrity is sporting just north of $1.5 million.

“This remarkably strong showing underscores the broad support for Governor Shapiro’s leadership and his reelection campaign — and builds on the Governor’s significant momentum heading into this spring,” the Shapiro campaign said in a statement. “This continued, historic fundraising strength comes as a result of contributions from all 67 counties across Pennsylvania and all 50 states.”

The incumbent Democratic governor can also certainly point to his recent book tour and airtime on national shows on CNN, MSNOW, and NBC as one reason for the large haul.

Garrity’s campaign said they are “humbled by the support she has received … from hardworking Pennsylvanians who donated because they recognize that Pennsylvania needs a turnaround.”

What does a $10.5 million campaign finance filing look like? Try 2,827 pages. Pass the eye drops, please.

Shapiro’s support was widespread, as his campaign received $916,141.58 in contributions of $50 or less and an additional $971,871.01 in donations ranging from $50-250. Political action committees like the governor, as PACs poured $2.03 million in his coffers as well.

Philadelphia Phillies majority owner John Middleton gave Shapiro’s campaign $50,000, as did the Comcast NBC Universal PAC. Venture capitalist Josh Kopelman was also among the $50,000 club, as was Rena Kopelman, chair of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia. The governor’s campaign also cashed $100,000 checks from the Northeastern PA Trial Lawyers Association PAC, the PSEA PACE for State Elections, Jerry Yang of AME Cloud Ventures and former CEO of Yahoo!, and Gov. J.B. Pritzker of Illinois.

Joshua Kalafer, owner of Empire Holdings LRP, and Neil Bluhm, president of JMB Realty Corporation in Chicago, gave $200,000 to his campaign, and the Pennsylvania Democratic Party also chipped in $250,000. Big gifts came from unions as Local Union #98 IBEW Committee on Political Education, and the Greater PA Carpenters PAC contributed $500,000 to the campaign – nearly half of Garrity’s total. Christopher Barnett, CEO of ICBD Holdings in Florida, also contributed half a million dollars.

But the winner for the largest contribution (after reviewing more than 2,800 pages), appears to be Christian Larsen, CEO of Ripple, Inc. in California, who donated a cool million to the campaign.

Garrity brought in $134,340.87 in gifts under $50 and $168,249.16 in contributions between $50-250.

PACs were not as open with their checkbooks to the State Treasurer as Shapiro in Q1, as her campaign reported less than $150,000 in corporate cash. Building Together PAC led the way with a $25,000 contribution.

Among the $10,000 contributions were the Citizens Alliance of PA PAC, the Commonwealth Leaders Fund, and the Montgomery County Republican Committee, while the PA Future Fund plopped $20,000 into the campaign.

Robert Asher, long-time GOP donor and co-chair of Asher’s Chocolate Co., gave $20,000, while Robert Bishop of Impala Asset Management in Florida, among others, made a $10,000 contribution.

The Garrity campaign also has $140,354.38 in unpaid debts and obligations, while their Democratic counterparts have no debt.

Steve Ulrich is the managing editor of PoliticsPA where this article originally appeared.