Gov. Shapiro Among Front Runners For Vice President

HARRISBURG, PA — Gov. Josh Shapiro has gone from rumored candidate for vice president to among a handful of frontrunners for the job, according to a political analysts and a variety of Democratic party officials who have opined on the matter since Kamala Harris became the presumptive nominee.

The Pennsylvania governor said he spoke on the phone to both President Joe Biden and then Harris, separately, on Sunday.

“The best path forward for the Democratic Party is to quickly unite behind Vice President Harris and refocus on winning the presidency," Shapiro said after Biden's decision. "The contrast in this race could not be clearer and the road to victory in November runs right through Pennsylvania – where this collective work began. I will do everything I can to help elect Kamala Harris as the 47th President of the United States."

The pair will appear at a campaign event together in Carlisle on Saturday, days ahead of former President Donald Trump's own event next week.

Related: Kamala Harris To Campaign With Gov. Shapiro In PA This Week

Potential VP choices are notoriously close-lipped about the possibility of their selection. But some popular choices have already said they're not interested, like Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Shapiro's demurring has been far more subtle.

During a public appearance this week at Shippensburg University, Shapiro said that "I was not asked, and I have not submitted paperwork."

As Shapiro noted, Pennsylvania could once again determine the winner of the White House this fall. The governor's moderate political orientation is surely appealing to Harris and her team, who will look to siphon votes from non-MAGA Republicans and undecided, middle of the ground voters.

Related: PA's DNC Delegation Backs Harris; Gov. Shapiro Floated As VP Candidate

And perhaps more important than anything Shapiro has done since in office, is what he did to get in office. His moderate platform victory over MAGA candidate Doug Mastriano in 2022 was not just one of the more lopsided gubernatorial elections in recent Pennsylvania history, it was several points better than other statewide Democrats in the same election. Shapiro defeated Mastriano by nearly 800,000 votes, compared to Sen. John Fetterman defeating Republican Mehmet Oz by only around 260,000 votes. A good chunk of Republicans who voted for Oz also voted for Shapiro.

A New York Times analysis included Shapiro among the top five most likely candidates for Harris's running mate, along with Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, and North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper. A similar Washington Post ranking put Shapiro at number one.

An MSNBC op-ed Tuesday also advocated for Shapiro's candidacy.

"Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro stands out as a compelling choice, bringing political acumen, intelligence and relevant skills to the ticket," the op-ed reads, citing his approval ratings, relative youth, and electoral performance.

While Shapiro has been proven to woo moderates, he will likely do little to sway progressives who see in Harris a moderate herself whose policy stances will be a facsimile of Biden's. Shapiro has invoked furor from the left over his pro-Israel stance amid the bloodshed in Gaza, as well as on education funding. Harris's team's final decision will be a calculation not just of the assistance a VP candidate will provide in an individual state, but how that candidate can lure voters from across the political spectrum around the country.

In hypothetical polling between Trump and Harris that has been conducted in recent months, Trump leads by an average of 1.6 points, according to RealClearPolitics. That's marginally less than the 3 point lead Trump held over Biden before the president declared he would not seek a second term.

Polling also gave Trump a 3 point lead over Shapiro in a hypothetical, head to head race, Newsweek reports.

If selected, Shapiro would be the second (or third) vice president from Pennsylvania, depending on if Biden is considered a Pennsylvania or a Delaware native. The only other VP from the Keystone State is George Dallas, the Philadelphia mayor who served under James K. Polk from 1845 to 1849.