‘Veepstakes’ runner-up Josh Shapiro takes stage as Harris formally introduces Walz as VP pick

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Hours after Kamala Harris announced Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, the Harris-Walz ticket made their inaugural campaign stop at Temple University’s Liacourus Center in Philadelphia.

But, before Harris introduced Walz, the first runner up in the “Veepstakes,” Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, took to the podium to thunderous applause.

He told the Philly crowd “I love being your governor,” allaying any concerns that he was disappointed about narrowly missing his chance at the second highest office in the country.

“Y’all fill my heart and I love you so much,” he said. “And I want you to know every single day I go to work for you, I put my shoulder to the wheel and I focus on three simple letters in our alphabet, GSD, and I focus on getting s*** done for all of you.”

Shapiro pointed out that he and Harris, both previous attorneys general, have been friends for two decades, adding “she is courtroom tough.”

“She has a big heart, and she is battle tested and ready to go, whether in a courtroom, whether fighting as attorney general, whether remembering the people who have oftentimes been left behind when she was sitting in the halls of power in the center,” he said. “Kamala Harris has always understood that you have to be every day for the people.”

Shapiro then turned to pounce on former President Donald Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance. But, even before he could finish, the crowd started chanting “He’s a weirdo,” Walz’s characterization of Vance.

“I love you, Philly,” Shapiro exclaimed. “The fact you are chanting he’s a weirdo means you heard of my good friend and our next vice president, Tim Walz.”

Shapiro then praised the person who was ultimately chosen to join Harris on the ticket.

“Tim Walz is a great man,” he said. “Tim Walz is an outstanding governor. Tim Walz is a teacher. Tim Walz is a guardsman. Tim Walz is a great patriot. And I’ll tell you what else – Tim Walz is a dear friend and I want you to know, Lori and I feel blessed to have Tim and Gwen in our lives,” he said, including the first ladies of Pennsylvania and Minnesota.

Walz returned the adulation saying Shapiro “can bring the fire.”

“I know you know this, but my God, what a treasure you have in Josh Shapiro. This is a visionary leader also, I have to tell you, everybody in America knows when you need a bridge fix, call that guy,” he added, referencing the I-95 bridge collapse last June, which the Shapiro administration had repaired in 12 days.

Shapiro reminded his constituents that America’s freedom was birthed in the city 248 years ago.

“The task of defending our fundamental freedoms, it now falls to all of you to freedom loving Americans all across this great country, and to the good people of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania who will decide this next election and understand our unique responsibility,” he said.

And “while we’ll see Kamala Harris and Tim Walz’s names on the ballot that this election isn’t just about their names on this ballot, this election is about all of you.”

The governor took the opportunity and talked about his faith, something that became part of the public discourse in the run up to Harris’ consideration of her potential running mate.

“I don’t want to preach,” he said, to which the audience chanted “Preach! Preach: Preach.” 

“I want to just say this, I lean on my family and I lean on my faith, which calls me to serve, and I am proud of my faith now,” he said. “My faith teaches me that no one, no one is required to complete the task, but neither are we free to refrain from it. That means that each of us has a responsibility to get off the sidelines, to get in the game, and to do our part.”

Harris’ supporters  filled the 10,000-seat stadium, with another roughly 2,000 standing. Campaign officials said that another 2,000 people were in an adjoining building watching via live TV. In addition to Shapiro, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker, National Democratic Committee Chair Jaime Harrison, and Pennsylvania Senators John Fetterman and Bob Casey also addressed supporters.