VP candidate watch: Pa. Gov. Josh Shapiro’s impact in Pa. and beyond

“Vice President Candidate Watch: PA Governor Josh Shapiro’s Impact in Pennsylvania and Beyond,” a special produced by WHYY News, explored Shapiro’s career and his influence on the electoral map. The radio program aired on Aug. 5, 2024 and included a barrage of perspectives on Shapiro’s work. The show was hosted by WHYY News’ Tom MacDonald featuring the political reporting of Carmen Russell-Sluchansky and other WHYY News staff.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro was a finalist to be the running mate of Vice President Kamala Harris in her presidential campaign. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz was announced as the pick the day after the special news program aired.

The hometown kid

“It’s difficult to find two politicians from Montgomery County as diametrically opposed as former U.S. Rep. Joe Hoeffel III and attorney Bruce Castor Jr.,” reported WHYY News Suburban Reporter Kenny Cooper of the Democrat and Republican, respectively. “However, neither can forget the first time they met Gov. Josh Shapiro. They both agree that he deserves to be in the national spotlight.”

‘A big hit for Pennsylvania and the country’

Former U.S. Rep. Bob Brady told WHYY News’ Tom MacDonald that Shapiro would be a great vice president, while disclosing “I like Josh, he’s my friend.”

“He was a great legislator. He was a great attorney general, and now doing a great job as governor,” he said.

Longtime Pennsylvania political media consultant Neil Oxman spoke of Shapiro’s popularity within the commonwealth. But noted that “no one outside of Pennsylvania knows him.”

“People are beginning to hear the name a little bit, but that’s more political junkies, more than anybody else,” he said.

Nevertheless, Oxman said Shapiro’s experience could’ve rounded out Harris’ ticket, despite not having “a 40-year resume.”

But can Shapiro help Harris to win?

Many believed with Shapiro on the ticket, Harris would gain Pennsylvania and its 19 electoral votes.

While a book written by political science professors Christopher Devine and Kyle Kopko may temper some of that enthusiasm, Dr. John Kennedy of West Chester University told Carmen Russell-Sluchansky, WHYY News multiplatform reporter for politics, that running mates could still make the difference if the election is as close as 2016 and 2020.

“In a state like Pennsylvania, you’re looking at a difference of one percentage point. That’s 70,000 votes,” he said. “Two percentage points, that is a big deal.”

The center lane of Pennsylvania politics

Meir Rinde, investigative reporter for Billy Penn at WHYY News, reported on how Shapiro does not follow the democratic orthodoxy.

For example, Shapiro cut a deal with Senate Republicans to fund a $100 million program for private school vouchers. But he ultimately line-item vetoed the program to avoid a budget impasse.

As attorney general, Shapiro took on the fracking companies. Now, he partners with the state’s fossil fuel industries and promotes the use of fracked natural gas, earning the ire from environmentalists.

Republicans have also criticized the governor’s energy police. They argue his carbon plan and proposal to promote renewable energy would make the state’s power supply more costly and less reliable.

On Immigration, WHYY News Suburban Reporter Emily Neil reported the governor refused to send the Pennsylvania National Guard to the border when Texas Gov. Greg Abbott was asking for support. He insisted an act of Congress is required to reform the current immigration system.

First Jewish vice president

Though not the first vice presidential Jewish nominee, there was a possibility that Shapiro could have become the nation’s first Jewish Vice President.

WHYY’s Russel-Sluchansky reported Jewish politicians and other Jewish practitioners were excited about the possibility and expressed that the governor would make a good spokesperson for their faith.

Rendell: Shapiro would do exactly what he’s done as governor

WHYY’s MacDonald noted that former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell has done it all, including District Attorney for Philadelphia, Mayor of Philadelphia, and general chairman of the Democratic National Committee. He was also a potential vice presidential candidate for Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry in 2004.

Rendell spoke highly of Shapiro and believed the governor would do “exactly what he’s done as governor and all those other offices.”

“He handled his office with extreme competency,” Rendell said, “He would understand the limitations of his office, and he would understand those limitations are the president sets the policy, but he would be a tremendous advocate for the president and the president’s policy.”

The Republican view of Shapiro

WHYY’s Russell-Sluchansky reported that Republicans “appear to think pretty highly of him.”

“Some call them talented, and others, I guess, prefer the word shrewd,” he said. “I’m thinking that they think a little less highly of them, or at the very least that he’s calculating.”

Still, former U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent believes Shapiro can assist with attracting moderate Republicans.

“He can actually bring over some independent Republican votes in the Commonwealth,” Dent said. “I think she would have a much harder time doing [it] on her own.”

One genuine scandal

Had Shapiro been picked, it would’ve made him a target for attacks for how he handled accusations of sexual harassment by one of his aides.

As WHYY’s Billy Penn’s Rinde reported, Shapiro’s liaison to the legislature, Mike Vereb, resigned all of a sudden last September behind the accusations of how he addressed a female subordinate. The case was settled for $295,000.

Shapiro and the environment

WHYY News Senior Climate Reporter and Editor Susan Phillips noted that both Harris and Shapiro went after oil and gas companies as attorneys general.

In the case of Shaprio, Phillips reported that his record is mixed (as alluded to above.)

Shapiro and his relationship with Philadelphia

Philadelphia City Council President Kenyatta Johnson knows the governor well. Both served together as state representatives in the Pennsylvania General Assembly.

He told WHYY’s MacDonald that most people in the city know who Shaprio is and have good relationships with the governor.

“In the event that [Shapiro] is the vice presidential nominee, it will not only be a boost for the state of Pennsylvania, but also for the city of Philadelphia,” Johnson said.

A breakdown of who appeared on the live program

WHYY News featured six reporters and included former city officials, an analyst and community members.

In order of appearance:

• Kenny Cooper, WHYY News
• Bob Brady, former U.S. Representative
• Neil Oxman, longtimer Pennsylvania political media consultant
• Carmen Russell-Sluchansky, WHYY News
• Kenneth Burns, WHYY News
• Emily Neil, WHYY News
• Ed Rendell, former Pennsylvania governor
• Susan Phillips, WHYY News
• Kenyatta Johnson, Philadelphia City Council president
• Larry Krasner, Philadelphia District Attorney

WHYY News’ special program “Vice President Candidate Watch: PA Governor Josh Shapiro’s impact in Pennsylvania and beyond” was made possible by all involved in the studio and the field: Vice President of News Sarah Glover; editorial director Jamila Bey; host Tom MacDonald; politics reporter Carmen Russell-Sluchansky, producer P. Kenneth Burns, reporters Kenny Cooper, Susan Phillips, Meir Rinde and Emily Neil.