While we respect the decision by U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Dallas, to seek reelection rather than enter the 2026 governor’s race — only he can know which position he has the most confidence he will be able to accomplish his goals in — we hope that the governor’s race will offer a strong choice for Pennsylvanians.

As we have editorialized before, our inclination is that competitive races at all levels incentivize elected officials to place their constituents first.

Competitive race require that candidates meet with voters, listen to their concerns and try to answer their questions. Those interactions — that process of campaigning — can serve as a foundation for better public service. While that may not always pan out, it certainly affords more of such a foundation than races in which incumbents can coast to reelection with minimal effort.

Beyond that, the 2026 governor’s race specifically would benefit from competition.

As we have noted, Gov. Josh Shapiro has too often been resistant to transparency and accountability — accepting lavish gifts from donors who compete for contracts or funding from the state without thorough disclosure of the gifts and his office’s reluctance to keep the public informed about a sexual harassment settlement and its details being two prime examples.

In, to some extent, keeping with this aversion to transparency, his proposed budgets have repeatedly increased spending with less clarity about where the money ultimately will come from — whether it be taxes that don’t yet exist or taxes on economic sectors that themselves remain illegal in Pennsylvania.

We believe that even if Shapiro ultimately is reelected, a competitive race affords all Pennsylvanians, from those most critical of his leadership to those most supportive, the strongest chance to secure commitments from the governor to more clearly and firmly prioritize transparency and accountability in a second term.