AI‑generated political deepfakes targeting Pennsylvania officials ahead of 2026 elections

Summary

In October 2025, Republican candidate Stacy Garrity posted AI‑generated images of Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro on Facebook, and State Senator Doug Mastriano shared an AI‑generated video of Shapiro. The deepfakes, ranging from cartoon‑style pictures to a Hollywood‑sign meme, were designed to mislead voters ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Experts from the American Association of Political Consultants, Quantum Communications, and MFStrategies warned about the expanding use of generative AI in political campaigns and urged greater voter media‑literacy. The incident coincided with Pennsylvania legislative efforts to regulate deepfakes and a conflicting executive order from President Trump.