A number of things about Republican Stacy Garrity’s very early out-of-the-gate bid to unseat Gov. Josh Shapiro next year are striking.

It’s not that she’s running. That seemed likely after she drew more votes than any candidate for statewide office in Pennsylvania history -- (3,542,336) while winning reelection as state treasurer last year.

Granted, it was a presidential year with one of the state’s highest voter turnout rates ever (77%). Republicans won every statewide race. But hers was a race for treasurer, how excited could voters have been? Yet she got almost as many votes as Donald Trump, just 972 shy.

What’s striking now, in terms of normal, cyclical politics, is she’s way ahead of the curve.

The governor’s race is next year. She announced her candidacy this August . She g

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