Gov. Josh Shapiro’s name kept coming up as Kamala Harris’s potential running mate last week as speculation about Joe Biden’s possible withdrawal from the presidential campaign intensified.
Biden announced on Sunday that he is not running for reelection. The attention on Shapiro and other potential running mates will undoubtedly increase now that Biden has endorsed Harris to be the Democratic candidate.
At their convention in Chicago the following month, Democratic convention delegates will finally choose the party’s candidate.
Shapiro is one of several possible vice presidential candidates being screened in a process financed by significant Democratic donors, according to a Washington Post story published on Saturday. Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear were also on the list.
Shapiro’s ability to assist in obtaining Pennsylvania’s vital electoral votes may be his greatest asset.
Almost 15 percentage points separated the 51-year-old Georgetown Law graduate from prominent Donald Trump supporter Sen. Doug Mastriano in the 2022 governor’s race. He served as Montgomery County’s state representative and state attorney general prior to that, representing a region directly north of Philadelphia.
After the I-95 flyover collapsed in June 2023, he became well-known throughout the country. Approximately two weeks later, the flyover was reopened.
Following the failed attempt on Trump’s life in Butler County on July 13, Shapiro found himself back in the public eye. Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, Dave McCormick, even commended him for his leadership.
In an interview conducted before to Biden’s withdrawal from the campaign, Chris Borick, the director of the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion, said that Shapiro was a “slam dunk” for the Democrats.
“He hails from Pennsylvania, the highly sought-after swing state,” he said. “He’s a rising star in the [Democratic] party, very popular here, and has high approval ratings as governor of the state.”
Shapiro has an advantage over Democratic governors like Beshear and Cooper, according to Borick, because of his connections to Pennsylvania.
He said, “North Carolina is fairly competitive, but maybe a little reach for Democrats. Kentucky, certainly not a competitive state.” Right now in political politics, Pennsylvania is the Holy Grail. It would also be quite desirable to have a well-liked governor from that state on your ticket.
Borick said that although Shapiro has only been governor for two years, it may not be as significant a disadvantage as it is for JD Vance, the GOP’s pick for vice president and a senator with less than two years of experience.
“You can argue that Shapiro has been involved in many of these issues for a longer period of time than less than two years by drawing on his work as attorney general,” he said.
Investigation of alleged sexual assault by Roman Catholic Church members was given to Shapiro after he was appointed attorney general. In a study issued by his office, it was claimed that over 300 priests had raped over 1,000 children since the 1940s.
Vance is much less of an experienced politician. He wrote “Hillbilly Elegy” and was a Marine for four years before being elected to the U.S. Senate in 2022. He worked as a venture investor and an attorney in addition to attending Yale Law.
Last week, Liddell Group political consultant Samuel Chen said that Shapiro’s brief political career would be problematic, but less so than Vance’s.
Regarding the electoral aspect of the matter, Shapiro’s background is both advantageous and disadvantageous, he said.
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Chen stated that while Shapiro has had brief periods in the national news, he is still not a household name. Chen has experience working for Republican governor Tom Corbett and U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey. That’s what Vance accomplished when his book “Hillbilly Elegy” shot to bestseller status and was the subject of much media attention due to the book’s themes, which resonated with many conservative readers.
Chen said that Vance’s lack of prior political experience may appeal to those who are disgusted with conventional politicians.
As more flaws may appear the longer a politician serves, Borick said that a shorter CV may even be beneficial.
Shapiro got gifts from contributors while serving as the next governor, and those gifts have drawn criticism. Chen used the Philadelphia 76ers’ courtside seats as an example.
It was dubbed a “political meeting” by Shapiro’s campaign.
There have been other instances when a Pennsylvania governor resigned from office to take a position in the federal government, should Shapiro and Harris emerge victorious.
As the first secretary of Homeland Security in President George W. Bush’s administration after the September 11 attacks, Governor Tom Ridge was appointed.
Shapiro would become the highest-ranking Jewish politician in American history if he were elected.
Chen said that this may be helpful in winning over a large number of Jewish voters who were unhappy with the Democratic party’s stance on the demonstrations against the war in Israel and Gaza.
Lt. Gov. Austin Davis would assume leadership in the event if Shapiro left office before his term ended.
The Republican senator representing Westmoreland County, Kim Ward, would become lieutenant governor in accordance with Pennsylvania’s succession plan. Since Joe Scarnati, R-Centre, assumed the position after Catherine Baker Knoll passed away in 2008, it would be the first occasion that the state’s deputy governor did not belong to the same political party.
Biden tweeted that he will decline the Democratic Party’s candidature for a second term, and Shapiro responded with a thank you shortly after.
As one of the most important presidents in modern history, Vice President Biden has served our nation honourably in the Senate and as a president. He has accomplished a great deal to advance our nation, uphold democracy, and safeguard genuine freedom, according to the tweet. He led by example and never wavered in his dedication to producing results for Pennsylvania, the Commonwealth where he was reared. I am honoured to serve with him.
Shapiro made no reference to what was ahead for him. Later on Sunday, he endorsed Harris in a statement, claiming to have talked with her after his conversation with Biden:
Our forefathers were well aware that unity was necessary for success when they gathered in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to proclaim our independence and institute our democracy. Since then, 248 years have passed, and while our nation and its citizens have faced challenges, the American spirit has always prevailed.
“Uniting behind Vice President Harris and concentrating on capturing the president is the wisest course of action for the Democratic Party going ahead. The statement said, “The difference in this race could not be more stark, and the path to success in November passes directly through Pennsylvania, the starting point of our collaborative effort. “I’ll do everything within my power to assist Kamala Harris in becoming the 47th President of the United States of America.”
