(WHTM) – If Congressman Dan Meuser (R-9) decided to run for Governor of Pennsylvania, he would’ve had the endorsement of President Donald Trump. That won’t be the case in 2026, as Meuser announced Tuesday he will not seek the Republican Party’s nomination.

“I think over the next 18 months I can do a lot more staying in Congress than campaigning around the commonwealth,” Meuser told abc27 News on Wednesday. Meuser has publicly acknowledged interest in running for governor since January, but says he’s now focused on pushing forward the president’s agenda in Congress.

The Democratic Governors Association reacted to Meuser’s decision, saying, “Even longtime Congressman Dan Meuser — Donald Trump’s hand-picked candidate for the Republican nomination for governor — knows he can’t go up against Governor Josh Shapiro and win. 

State Senator Greg Rothman, who chairs Pennsylvania’s Republican Party, disagrees with the DGA’s assessment of the race.

“I don’t buy that, I don’t prescribe to that,” Rothman said Wednesday. “I feel confident that we are going to roll out in probably the next few weeks a really perfect nominee to take on Josh Shapiro, someone who’s going to be a great contrast.”

Many in the political arena believe State Treasurer Stacy Garrity may be that candidate. While Rothman declined to confirm whether Garrity is the party’s favored candidate, the twice-statewide elected Treasurer would bring both a military and business background to the campaign trail.

Garrity told abc27 in a statement that she’ll make a decision on whether or not to run “very soon.” She’s previously targeted this summer as a deadline to decide whether to challenge Shapiro and has ramped up donation emails in recent months.

Last November, Garrity broke Shapiro’s record for the most votes received by a state official in Pennsylvania in her re-election campaign. When asked about Meuser’s decision on Wednesday, Shapiro declined to comment.

State Senator Doug Mastriano, the 2022 Republican gubernatorial nominee who received Trump’s endorsement, has previously said he is considering another run for Governor and believes he’d win another primary.

Whoever runs against Shapiro in 2026 is likely to face opposing outside money coming into the race, with Shapiro viewed as a potential 2028 presidential candidate.