Josh Shapiro, a prominent potential candidate to win the VP nomination He has also been a supporter of Kamala Harris. What is his contribution to the campaign?

The discussion this week about the possibility of Joe Biden quitting the race for president Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s name was mentioned repeatedly as a possible candidate to run with Kamala Harris.

By Ben Wasserstein

Jul 22, 2024 05:58 AM

As the conversation heated up over the last week concerning the possibility of Joe Biden quitting the race for president, the governor. Josh Shapiro’s name was repeatedly brought up as a possible running partner in the race for Kamala Harris.

Biden announced the following day that he was not running for re-election. Now since Harris has Biden’s backing in support of his Democratic campaign, the attention upon Shapiro and his potential running mates will get bigger.

Democrat Convention delegates are likely to decide the person to be the nomination of the party at the annual convention in Chicago within the next month.

The Washington Post reported on Saturday that Shapiro is among the possible candidates for Vice-Presidential position who are being vetted by a process supported by major Democratic donors. Others on the list include Kentucky Governor. Andy Beshear, North Carolina Governor. Roy Cooper, Michigan Governor. Gretchen Whitmer and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly.

Shapiro’s biggest advantage is the possibility to help in the crucial election results that come in Pennsylvania.

The 51-year old Georgetown Law graduate was elected governor in 2022 with more than 15 percent of the vote in the race against state senator. Doug Mastriano, a well-known Donald Trump supporter. Prior to that, he was as attorney general for the state and was the elected representative in Montgomery County, just north of Philadelphia.

The issue received national attention following the I-95 bridge’s collapse during June of 2023. The bridge was repaired two weeks following the incident.

After the failed assassination on behalf of Trump on Butler County on July 13, Shapiro was again in the spotlight and was being praised for his leadership skills from the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Dave McCormick.

Chris Borick, director of the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion In an interview before to Biden resigning, Borick said Shapiro was a “slam dunk” for the Democrats.

“He’s from Pennsylvania, the most coveted swing state,” the governor claimed. “He’s highly regarded here and has very high ratings for approval as governor in the state, and is seen as rising star in the Democratic party. “

Borick said the Shapiro’s Pennsylvania connections give him an advantage over Democratic governors such as Cooper as well as Beshear. as well as Cooper.

“Kentucky, certainly not a competitive state, North Carolina is fairly competitive, but maybe a little reach for Democrats,” said the senator. “Pennsylvania is as one among the Holy Grail of electoral politics in the present. It’s an area where a governor who is famous from the state that you vote for is highly sought-after. “

Although Shapiro has served only two years as governor Borick claimed that this may not be as crucial an issue for GOP vice-presidential candidate JD Vance, who has served as a U.S. senator for less than two years.

“You can fall back on [Shapiro’s] work as attorney general and make a case that he’s been engaged in lots of these issues for a longer time than less than two years,” the attorney general claimed.

Attorney general Shapiro was appointed to lead an investigation into sexual abuse that was perpetrated by priests from within the Roman Catholic Church. His office published the results of a report which suggested the possibility that over thousand children were sexually abused by priests with a combined number of 300 between 1940 and the time of his appointment.

Vance has more political experience. Before his election to Senate at the end of 2022, Vance published an autobiography. U.S. Senate in 2022 the author of “Hillbilly Elegy” and served for four years as a Marine. He also attended Yale Law and worked as an attorney and an investment banker in the venture capital.

The Political Strategist Samuel Chen of the Liddell Group said last week that Shapiro’s short political time in office could be a source of trouble but it’s not as serious like Vance’s.

“Shapiro’s resume is both a strength and a liability when it comes to the electoral side of the issue,” said the politician.

Chen who’s previous experience includes working for a Republican U.S. Senator. Pat Toomey and Republican Governor. Tom Corbett, added that even though Shapiro has been of national TV, however Shapiro isn’t an established figure. It’s the difference Vance achieved through the novel “Hillbilly Elegy” became a bestseller and later a movie and was the subject of media attention since numerous conservatives were able connect with the themes.

people who feel unhappy with the traditional political system could be drawn by Vance’s lack experience as an elected representative, Chen said.

Borick said that a concise resume may be helpful because the longer an individual with political ties is in office their office the greater difficulties can be identified.

In his position as the governor in office, Shapiro received contributions from donors. These are currently under scrutiny. Chen mentioned courtsides seats for the Philadelphia Sixers as an example.

Shapiro’s campaign has described the event as it was a “political gathering. “

If Shapiro were to become a component of Harris and be elected, it won’t become the only time an Pennsylvania governor has resigned in order for federal service.

After the September. 11 attacks following the September. 11 attacks The governor. Tom Ridge joined President George Bush. Bush’s presidency included secretary for Homeland Security.

If he is elected, Shapiro will be the most significant Jewish politician ever in American time.

Chen declared that this may help to gain the support of a huge amount of Jewish citizens who are unhappy with the Democratic party due to the protests against the war in Israel and Israel’s Middle East and Gaza.

If Shapiro was to retire prior to the expiration of his term the Lieutenant. Governor. Austin Davis would take charge over the post.

In the lineage of succession in Pennsylvania, Senate president pro in tempore Kim Ward, a Republican from Westmoreland County, would become the lieutenant governor. This is the first time in Pennsylvania that the second in command was not from the same political group as the governor. Joe Scarnati, R-Centre, was appointed governor following his death in 2008. Catherine Baker Knoll, who passed away in 2008.

Just after Biden announced via Twitter that he wasn’t going to seek his Democratic nomination for a second time, Shapiro tweeted a tribute to the president.

“President Biden is a patriot who has served our country honorably in the Senate, as Vice President, and as one of the most consequential presidents in modern history,” the tweet reads “President Biden has gotten an impressive amount of work done to propel our nation forward to protect democracy, and protect the true freedom. I am honored to work with Biden and am thankful for his leadership, as well as his unwavering devotion towards the ideals of Pennsylvania – – the Commonwealth that gave him his name. “

Shapiro did not comment on his plans for the future. Then, on Sunday, he announced an endorsement from Harris who claimed he had a conversations with her following an interview in which Biden was present. Biden: Biden:

“When the founding parents of our nation met to create the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to declare our independence and establish our democratic system, they did it with the understanding that we would only be able to achieve our goals by uniting. Since 248 years after the announcement of Independence, our country as well as our citizens have faced many tests, yet we’ve always remained together. American spirit has always triumphed.

“The best way to move to take to those in the Democratic Party is to quickly join with the vice president Harris and focus on securing the presidency. The difference in this race is not more clear and the path towards victory on November is across Pennsylvania which is where this collective work started,” he stated in his declaration. “I intend to work all I can to support the election of Kamala Harris as the 47th president of the United States. “