What did Shapiro-Garrity debate reveal about Pennsylvania's gubernatorial race? Analyst weighs in

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and state Treasurer Stacy Garrity faced off Wednesday night in their first and possibly only debate before Election Day. 

With 10 questions on the table, one topic at least stands out in the minds of voters: the rapid development of data centers. But KDKA political analyst Jon Delano said Shapiro and Garrity have roughly the same views. Both supported data centers years ago but now oppose them.

"If a local community does not want that data center to be built in their community, it will not be built," Shapiro said during the debate.

"The governor not only allowed but he encouraged all these projects to come in, and they've ruined some of the community," Garrity said.

Delano doesn't think the debate revealed anything new from either side.

"Both candidates stuck to their script," he said. "Both candidates said exactly what we would predict they would say. Nobody laid a punch particularly on one versus the other."

Because of this, he doesn't think there was a real winner. Delano doesn't think either lost or gained any votes, and those who tuned in will vote for the same candidate they already planned to.

So do debates matter anymore? Delano still thinks they do.

"It's really a test of whether or not the candidate is willing to stand under fire, not from necessarily an opponent, but from the media," Delano said.

Ahead of this debate, a new Quinnipiac poll showed Shapiro with a 25-point lead over Garrity, with 59% of likely voters backing the incumbent Democrat, and a margin of error of nearly 4%. Whether that changes depends on the number of Democrats who come out to protest a Republican president and Congress, Delano said. Nonetheless, he questions the latest poll, saying Garrity is a stronger candidate than Shapiro's previous opponent.

"Even when he ran against Sen. Doug Mastriano four years ago, and it was a very lopsided race, the governor won by 15 points, not 25 points," Delano said.

As for whether they'll debate again, Shapiro's campaign hasn't said no, but it hasn't accepted other offers either.