‘Talented politician’: Pennsylvania Republicans respond to Shapiro as possible VP pick

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Following the 2006 elections, Democrats controlled the Pennsylvania state House by one seat, like they do today, and the party could not unite behind a speaker. Josh Shapiro, who had only just finished his first term as a state representative, managed to broker a deal that put a moderate Republican in the role.

The event remains part of the lore behind Shapiro’s tendency to reach across the aisle to keep the machinations of government moving. And with Shapiro now at the top of the short list for consideration for presumed presidential nominee Kamala Harris’ vice presidential pick, supporters are talking up his practical bipartisan tendencies, especially Democrats in Pennsylvania who have been lobbying Harris to put him on the ticket.

“That term of that particular House wound up doing some really great things for the commonwealth,” said Steven Santarsiero, who was elected to the chamber two years later. “I think he showed leadership and his ability to bring people together there.”

Recently, Gretchen Whitmer, in a campaign stop for Harris, said Shapiro “gets s*** done.” Many Republicans in the state appear to agree.

“He’s had strong cross-party appeal since he first ran for governor,” former U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent told WHYY News. “I think that’s probably one of the advantages he brings to Kamala Harris and he can actually bring over some independent Republican votes in the commonwealth. I think she would have a much harder time doing that on her own.”

Citing “increased polarization and ideological rigidity that leads to dysfunction, disorder and chaos,” Dent opted not to run for an eighth term in 2017, during what proved to be a mass exodus of similarly minded conservative legislators. Dent wouldn’t say if he would vote for a Harris-Shapiro ticket in November, but the still-registered Republican openly announced in 2020 that he would vote for Joe Biden that year and publicly supported Shapiro in his run for governor in 2022.

Dent said it was an easy choice to support Shapiro for governor given the alternative was state Sen. Doug Mastriano, a Donald Trump ally who questioned the validity of the 2019 presidential election and is believed to be a “Christian nationalist.” (Mastriano did not respond to WHYY News’ request for comment before publication.)

However, Dent added that his admiration for Shapiro goes beyond his opposition to Trump and the MAGAism currently dominant in his party.

“Gov. Shapiro is a very capable and gifted politician,” he said. “He’s proven himself to be a very effective communicator and leader, and it just seems that he’s in a good position to be selected.”

Another “never Trump” Republican, former U.S. Rep. Jim Greenwood, is more open about his plans for November and co-chairs the group Pennsylvania Republicans for Harris.

“So I’m all in for the ticket,” he told WHYY News, adding that he has organized more than 20 other former Republican members of Congress to support Harris. As for Shapiro, “There’s never been a hint of scandal about him. He’s articulate, he’s intelligent, he’s energetic, he’s charismatic, and he gets things done. So I think he’d be a perfect choice for Kamala to make.”

Greenwood, who also publicly supported Shapiro in his gubernatorial race, said he thinks Shapiro would have won regardless.

“He appeals across party lines,” Greenwood said. “He’s viewed as a centrist. He’s not viewed as an extremist of any kind. So I think he would’ve won against just about any Republican.”

Obviously, most Republicans in the state are not voting for Harris — with or without Shapiro on the ticket — but it’s hard to find one who would impugn Shapiro’s character or fitness to serve rather than using the opportunity to assail Democrats at-large.

In a statement, U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser questioned whether it would benefit Shapiro to join a “losing presidential campaign, particularly when it means defending the failed policies of the Biden-Harris administration.”

“If he’s on the ticket, he would be forced to advocate for open borders, inflation, higher taxes, increased regulation, and an all-out assault on American energy,” Meuser said. “So if the governor wants to associate himself with that agenda, then in many ways he’s not the Josh Shapiro that presents himself as Pennsylvania’s governor.”

Real estate developer Jeff Bartos, who ran for U.S. Senate last year and served as a delegate to the RNC last month, called Shapiro “a friend” but agreed that Shapiro would serve himself by staying in Harrisburg.

“Josh is a talented and very smart politician, but no matter who they put on the ticket, the Democrats are going to have the Biden-Harris agenda,” he told WHYY News. “They’re going to have to answer for that, whether it’s inflation, whether it’s the border crisis, whether it’s crime or whether it’s the war on energy.”

Of course, the question of the day is whether Shapiro would help Harris win the state critical to Harris’ success. Dent believes the governor could make the difference.

“At this point, if I were advising Harris, I’d say she needs to be ruthlessly pragmatic and do what she must to win Pennsylvania,” Dent said. “Shapiro clearly helps her in that regard.”

Greenwood agreed, noting that the selection of running mates usually has little effect on the outcome of the race, but given how close Pennsylvania elections are, this year may be the exception.

“We’re in uncharted waters here,” he said, adding that Shapiro’s youth and energy will be felt outside the state. “He’s not just ‘check the boxes.’ He’s a very special, talented politico, and I think that he’ll help the ticket, not only Pennsylvania but I think across the country.”

Polling shows Shapiro’s favorability in the state falling between 50% and as much as 60% among voters statewide, with one poll showing 77% of Democrats, 42% of Republicans and 39% of independent voters have positive opinions about the governor’s job performance. Meanwhile, 40% of Pennsylvania voters support Shapiro for VP, a higher number than any of his competitors enjoy in their respective states. And, according to a new Bloomberg-Morning Consult poll, Shapiro also has a higher favorability across the swing states (29%) than any of the other discussed picks, except for Pete Buttigieg (31%).