A look ahead to Pennsylvania's gubernatorial inauguration

Jan. 16—HARRISBURG — Josh Shapiro becomes Pennsylvania's 48th governor when he's inaugurated Tuesday in an all-day celebration of the transfer of power from his soon-to-be predecessor, Tom Wolf.

Shapiro enters office on the heels of a landslide election victory in the 2022 midterms, having received more than 3 million votes — the most ever for a gubernatorial candidate. He'll be installed along with his running mate, Austin Davis, who becomes the commonwealth's first Black lieutenant governor.

The shift from the Wolf Administration marks the first time Democrats held the office for three consecutive terms in the party's modern history.

When Shapiro does take the oath of office, he'll be sworn in on a stack of three bibles. One is a personal family bible that he's used each time he's taken office since 2005.

Another was carried in World War II by Herman Hershman, who served as a corporal technician 5th grade and had earned a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart after landing with the First Division on Omaha Beach on D-Day. The bible is shared by the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History.

The third bible in the stack is a Hebrew bible provided by the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, site of a deadly mass shooting in 2018 where 11 people were killed. The Swearing-In Ceremony begins at noon outside the State Capitol's East Wing in Harrisburg. The Pennsylvania Capitol Complex will be closed during the inauguration, however, the Main Capitol Building will be open to the public with limited access to the Rotunda.

The Pennsylvania Cable Network will carry the event live with television coverage beginning at 10 a.m. A live stream will be available at https://pacast.com/live/gov.

Local interfaith leaders will deliver a joint prayer at the event. Performances at the swearing-in are planned by the Lincoln University Choir, the African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas Choir, the Pittsburgh Youth Chorus, and the Hazleton Area High School Marching Cougars.

The Pennsylvania State Police Honor Guard will perform the presentation of colors. World War II veteran and Philadelphia native Roland Scarinci will lead the Pledge of Allegiance.

An evening Inaugural Celebration continues at 6:30 p.m. at Rock Lititz Studios in Lancaster County. The event promises to be more lively than the formal event at the Capitol. Scheduled to perform at the evening affair are Motown pioneer and R&B legend Smokey Robinson, multi-platinum-selling hip-hop artist and Pittsburgh native Wiz Khalifa, and acclaimed indie rock band from Philadelphia, Mt. Joy.

Tickets to both events were quickly snatched up with wait-lists available at shapiroinauguration.org.

Shapiro and Davis and their wives, future First Lady Lori Shapiro and future Second Lady Blayre Holmes Davis, took part in Inauguration Day of Service over the long weekend ahead of Tuesday's events.

They were scheduled to be involved in a multi-pronged event at the YWCA Greater Pittsburgh on Saturday including collecting and distributing school supplies for local students. On Sunday, they'll appear at Vetri Community Partnership in Philadelphia for an event focused on healthy living.

The four participated in an event Monday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, at Alexander Grass Campus for Jewish Life in Harrisburg for a series of hands-on service projects.