Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro is positioning a strong re-election campaign as a springboard for a possible 2028 Democratic presidential bid, while insisting that his immediate priority is securing victories for his party in the state and beyond.
Shapiro is expected to defeat Stacy Garrity, a candidate backed by President Donald Trump, by a double-digit margin in the closely watched battleground state. His campaign is also seeking to help Democrats win four competitive congressional seats and regain control of the Pennsylvania Senate.
Such an outcome would give Democrats control of the state government for the first time since 1992, as well as potentially providing the party with the votes needed to take the House of Representatives.
“I’m not thinking about this as a victory for me,” Shapiro said during a tour of Pennsylvania. “I’m thinking about this as a victory for our country.”
The governor has tied his own political fortunes to a wider effort to challenge Mr Trump, arguing that Democratic victories in Pennsylvania could provide a check on the president in Washington.
“If we can win enough seats here in Pennsylvania to change the balance of power in Washington and be a check on Donald Trump, then we can both hold the president accountable and get stuff done in Washington,” he said.
A Democratic takeover in Harrisburg would also allow Shapiro to pursue a $15 minimum wage and other measures. He said a governing majority could enable him to “raise wages almost immediately for tens of thousands of Pennsylvanians who are at or below minimum wage and raise wages for others”.
Shapiro keeps 2028 plans under wraps
Shapiro, who was considered during the selection process for the 2024 Democratic vice-presidential ticket, has not announced plans to run for president. He has also declined to say whether he intends to campaign outside Pennsylvania before the end of the year.
Asked about his plans, he said: “I don’t know what my plans are.”
His approach has been compared with that of Ron DeSantis, the Florida governor who sought to establish his record at home before launching a national presidential primary campaign. David Axelrod, the political strategist, said waiting too long to enter the race could prove costly.
“I think what really hurt DeSantis was that he decided he wasn’t going to announce until after his legislative session, and that was May,” Mr Axelrod said. “Time is at a premium. If that’s his plan, that would be a miscalculation.”
Shapiro’s public message has nevertheless begun to reach beyond state politics. At East Stroudsburg University, where he was campaigning for Democratic candidates, he urged voters not to lose hope under the Trump administration.
“Don’t let Trump take away your hopefulness,” he said. “Don’t let him make you feel pessimistic. Don’t let him feel like change can’t come or that we have to look in the rearview mirror for answers. The answers are always straight ahead.”
He has also spoken about the “American dream slipping away”, presenting his work in Pennsylvania as part of a broader argument about confidence in government and democracy.
“I think the work I do here in Pennsylvania, the confidence I give them about their government here can hopefully restore some of their faith in democracy, and I want in our democracy, and I want them to feel like they’ve got power to be able to shape the future of that American dream,” Shapiro said.
The governor has been campaigning for Paige Cognetti, the Scranton mayor challenging Republican Representative Rob Bresnahan, and Brian Wrightson, the Democratic state Senate candidate running against Senator Rosemary Brown.
At a tavern in Old Forge, Shapiro greeted customers, collected five pizzas and left for another Cognetti rally. His own advertisement for Mr Wrightson was playing on the television inside the bar.
Later, at Pocono Raceway, Shapiro filmed a video driving around the track before taking a position above its three-turn course. He waved a black-and-white chequered flag and suggested that it represented the final stage of the governor’s race rather than the launch of a presidential campaign.
“If this is a metaphor,” he said, “it’s for finishing the race strong.”
When asked about a green flag he had also picked up, Shapiro smiled and replied: “I think you mis-saw that. I was waving a checkered flag to finish the governor’s race.”
