Gov. Josh Shapiro officially launches reelection campaign

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Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has officially announced his reelection campaign. Speaking to an audience in North Philly on Thursday night, Shapiro made the case that, after three years in office, he deserves reelection.

“More jobs, more opportunity and more freedom,” he said to cheers. “And now we have the only state economy in the Northeast that’s growing. We made strategic investments all the while protecting those in need, from our seniors to those who live with disabilities, but who have so much to offer if just given the chance.”

Shapiro held his Philadelphia launch at the Alan Horwitz “Sixth Man” Center, where hundreds of supporters cheered and waved signs, including ones that simply said “G-S-D,” an allusion to Shapiro’s mantra of getting “stuff” done, though the governor used a more explicit term in his speech.

Shapiro presented himself as a pragmatic leader who continues to make the state more affordable and said he worked to put more dollars in Pennsylvanians’ hands.

“We’ve got to help more Pennsylvanians achieve the dream of owning their own home and putting an affordable roof over their head,” he said. “We’ve got to produce more energy while protecting our environment. We’ve got to enshrine into law protections for victims of abuse along with our LGBTQ neighbors. And we’ve got to hold those companies that are trying to raise our electric bills accountable.”

Shapiro also referenced the “corruption and cruelty” he sees in Washington, D.C., and made sharp comments on national issues that may play key roles in the 2026 state and federal elections.

“Nearly half million of our neighbors are about to lose their health care,” he said. “Over a hundred thousand more will lose their food benefits, and millions are paying more when they go to the grocery store or buy a car or just want to buy their kid a gift. Small businesses are struggling and farmers are losing markets and instead being offered a handout. This type of chaos, it erodes the progress we’ve made here in Pennsylvania, and I know it stokes worry and an impulse for some to retreat.”

He also vowed to ensure Pennsylvania “is a place where a woman’s right to choose is the law, a place where you can marry who you love and worship as you please.”

Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, who spoke just before the governor, said Shapiro was the right person for the volatile times, calling him, “someone who has never backed down from a fight, someone who spoke truth to power when politicians in Washington tried to force their chaos and dangerous policies onto Pennsylvania, and someone who understands that leadership is about responsibility and service, not recognition.

“When Josh and his family were targeted by political violence, when their home was set on fire in the middle of the night, I watched how he showed up, first as a father, protecting his family, and then as a leader, refusing to let fear or division pull this commonwealth off its course,” Davis said. “That kind of service is exactly what this moment demands, and that’s why I’m proud to stand beside him every day as his governing partner and as your lieutenant governor.”

Other speakers included Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker, state Sen. Vincent Hughes, state Rep. Jordan Harris, Philadelphia Youth Basketball CEO Kenny Holdsman, Ryan Boyer of the Philadelphia Building and Construction Trades Council and Darryl Thomas of Philly Cuts.

Baron Vanderburg, who works in higher education and also serves as a township supervisor in Lehigh Valley, was holding one of the “G-S-D” signs and said it speaks to the governor’s commitment to the commonwealth, such as his effort to increase public education funding.

“When you say you’re going to do something, you do it,” Vanderburg said. “It might take you a little bit of time or maybe a little bit longer, but it shows me a commitment to getting s*** done, or getting things done,” he said.

Shapiro, a Democrat first elected in 2022, released a video announcement early Thursday morning highlighting accomplishments from his first term. The video begins with scenes from the fiery truck crash that led to the 2023 I-95 bridge collapse in Philadelphia. The governor then touts how the state repaired the bridge within 12 days.

“We cut through the red tape to get I-95 rebuilt in record time,” he said. “We did it using materials from a Pennsylvania business and with the muscle and know-how of Pennsylvania union workers.”

Olive Alam, a member of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 98, said that Shapiro’s support for labor is what motivated her to support him.

“He has done a lot for the working class,” she said. “Not everything can be perfect, but he’s making a great effort, so I’m happy to support him not only as a union member, but also as a resident of Pennsylvania.”

The governor enters the race with strong name recognition and a sizable fundraising advantage. His campaign raised $23 million last year, giving him more than $30 million in cash as he officially starts his campaign. That beats the previous record, also set by Shapiro’s $13.4 million at the start of 2022.

Republicans, however, are already coalescing around a presumptive nominee, state Treasurer Stacy Garrity, who announced her campaign in August. While Garrity lacks the profile and funding of the governor, she boasts the record for total vote tally for a statewide office, which she garnered during her 2024 reelection.

Doug Mastriano, a Republican state senator who ran against Shapiro four years ago, announced in an online video Wednesday that he would not mount a primary campaign against Garrity.

“God has not called us to run for governor this year,” Mastriano said in a Facebook livestream.

Shapiro’s reelection bid comes as Pennsylvania remains one of the country’s most closely watched swing states, in which competitive races across the state will determine who controls the state Legislature as well as the U.S. House of Representatives.

Democrats like Pennsylvania Democratic Party Chair Eugene DePasquale hope Shapiro’s popularity will ensure Democrats are favored in November.

“With him at the top of the ticket, the Pennsylvania Democratic Party is in a great position to win races up and down the ballot across the Commonwealth this cycle,” DePasquale said in a statement. “This includes not only expanding in the state house and winning the state senate but flipping our targeted congressional seats to deliver a check on Trump’s chaos in Washington.”

Shapiro, who was considered for Kamala Harris’ running mate in the 2024 presidential election,  is widely speculated to be a contender in the 2028 presidential race. Garrity has criticized Shapiro for having his eyes on a higher office.

“While Josh Shapiro has been running for president and fundraising in California and other liberal states, raising money from far left megadoors Bloomberg and Soros, critical problems have been ignored,” Garrity said in a video on her website.

However, that didn’t concern the governor’s supporters in North Philly. Alam said that she “hopes” Shapiro runs for president.

“I would be happy to support him,” she said.