Josh Shapiro to begin general election campaign in Johnstown

May 16—JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — Presumptive Democratic Party gubernatorial nominee Josh Shapiro is scheduled to give a speech in Johnstown on Tuesday to launch his general election campaign.

Shapiro, the state's attorney general, will deliver his remarks at 7:30 p.m., at a site on the corner of Somerset St. and Willow St., with the Firefighters Memorial Bridge as a backdrop. Shapiro is running unopposed in Tuesday's primary.

He plans to address several issues, including education, public safety, the economy, work he has done as attorney general and freedoms, while sharing his personal story, according to his campaign.

"I think it's very important that he comes to Cambria County," Cambria County Controller Ed Cernic Jr. said.

"He realizes Cambria County has been a Democratic stronghold for a lot of years. The last couple years, our voters here have gotten disenchanted with the left wing of the party. Some have gone independent. Some have gone to the Republican Party.

"Josh Shapiro is a moderate Democrat, middle-of-the-road Democrat. He believes in the same things that the people of Cambria County believe in — working families, health care, public education. Let's rebuild the Democratic Party in Cambria County on the principles that we all believe in."

Shapiro will speak in the city where almost 40% of the people live in poverty. Johnstown has been in Pennsylvania's Act 47 program for distressed municipalities since Aug. 21, 1992. The population has decreased by approximately 40,000 in the past century.

"We need put back on the map," Cambria County Democratic Party Chairwoman Helen Whiteford said.

"We're hurting, especially Johnstown."

Shapiro is the latest candidate to visit the county in what has been a busy election cycle. Two Democrats running for U.S. Senate — Lt. Gov. John Fetterman and U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb — campaigned locally, as did numerous Republicans in the Senate and gubernatorial races.

"It is always good news to have general election candidates visit Cambria County and Johnstown," Cambria County Commissioners Tom Chernisky and William "B.J." Smith, both Democrats, said in a written message.

"The Greater Johnstown Metro Area and our region is a focal point in statewide and national elections. We have seen presidential, gubernatorial and U.S Senate candidates come to Cambria County. Appearances by candidates put Cambria County on the map in Harrisburg and Washington D.C."