Why won’t Pennsylvania’s Republican governor candidate say she supports marriage equality?

Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity, the Republican nominee for governor, has repeatedly declined to say whether she supports marriage equality, drawing criticism from Democrats as she campaigns to lead one of the nation's most important battleground states. The state's Democratic governor, Josh Shapiro, who is running for reelection, is an LGBTQ+ ally.Garrity's most direct comments on the issue came during a 2025 interview with WPMT, a Fox affiliate, when she was asked about the future of same-sex couples’ ability to get married if the U.S. Supreme Court were to revisit Obergefell v. Hodges, the landmark 2015 decision that legalized marriage equality nationwide."I don't really want to talk about hypotheticals," Garrity said. "To be honest, I haven't even given it much thought at all."The Advocate contacted Garrity's campaign on Friday to seek clarification on whether she supports marriage equality, the Supreme Court's decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, and whether she would support preserving marriage rights for same-sex couples in Pennsylvania if the issue returned to the states. The campaign did not respond.Garrity's comments are part of a broader pattern of declining to answer questions about LGBTQ+ rights.In a 2024 candidate questionnaire published by WPSU, Pennsylvania's public media station serving central Pennsylvania, Garrity answered questions on economic policy, retirement savings, higher education, and other issues. However, when asked, "What is your position on LGBTQ rights?" the questionnaire listed "No response."The questionnaire also showed no responses to questions concerning abortion, healthcare access, immigration, housing, and gun policy. While Garrity has not publicly stated whether she supports marriage equality, she has taken conservative positions on LGBTQ+ issues in the past.According to a 2020 Pennsylvania Family Council voter guide completed during her campaign for state treasurer, Garrity opposed requiring wedding service providers to p