Gov. Josh Shapiro comes home for Pa. rally for Kamala Harris in Ambler. Is he VP pick?

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro was joined by Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in Ambler Monday to stump for Vice President Kamala Harris, who could be just days away from picking a running mate in the 2024 election.

Over a thousand supporters packed the auditorium of Wissahickon High School in Montgomery County, which followed a volunteer drive by the Harris campaign that included a stop for Shapiro in Cumberland County on Saturday.

Rumors that Shapiro is high on the list of potential vice presidential nominees have swirled in the week following President Joe Biden’s announcement not to seek a second term last Sunday.

Shapiro took the stage at about 5 p.m. to a roaring crowd in the school, a few miles from his hometown of Upper Dublin.

"It is so good to be home. This is the community where I went out and knocked on 18,000 doors in my neighborhoods of Abington and Upper Dublin," Shapiro said. "This is the community that taught me about three simple letters of the alphabet — G,S, and D. We focus on Getting (expletive) Done here in the commonwealth."

Is Gov. Shapiro on the Veep short list? Shapiro top candidiate for Harris VP spot with Sen. Kelly; takes on Trump as vetting begins

Echoing his previous comments while stumping for Harris last week, Shapiro warned the crowd that a second Trump presidency would be a return to "those days of chaos" and "more dangerous" for many Americans.

Shapiro also took a jab at Trump's campaign over uncertainty if a debate between the former president and current vice president would occur.

Biden and Trump were scheduled to appear for an NBC-moderated televised debate on Sept. 10, but a Trump spokesman said last week those plans were up in the air.

“(Biden) chose Kamala Harris (in 2020) not just to campaign with him but to govern with him, because Kamala Harris is ready,” Shapiro said. "You know who else knows she's ready? Donald Trump knows she's ready.

"Trump won't debate her because he can't defend his record," Shapiro added.

More on Gov. Shapiro From Abington to Washington? Gov. Shapiro's political roots planted in Montgomery County

In his remarks, Shapiro referenced the Project 2025, which has been called the 900-page blueprint presidential administration transition project authored by the Heritage Foundation, a controversial conservative think tank.

“It is an agenda to take away more of your freedoms," Shapiro said. "It is an agenda to use the police and military in this country to settle scores with his political adversaries."

The plan calls for the abolition of diversity, equity and inclusion programs in the federal government, restrictions on the mailing of mailing of mifepristone, a drug that blocks a hormone needed to continue pregnancy, and would disband the Department of Education.

The comprehensive policy overhaul would “dismantles the unaccountable Deep State, taking power away from Leftist elites and giving it back to the American people and duly-elected President,” according to the Project 2025 website.  The document has drawn concerns from academics and advocates who call it a plan to overhaul the federal government to carry out an far-right social, educational, immigration and economic agenda.

Project 2025 also calls for replacing the Department of Homeland Security with a new, more powerful border and immigration enforcement agency to choke immigration. It would also curtail or disband programs that experts say greatly benefit communities of color, including food stamp and Head Start programs.

Photos: Shapiro, Whitmer in Montco Josh Shapiro and Michigan Gov. Whitmer rally in Ambler for Kamala Harris

Political experts have previously said Shapiro’s resumé in a pivotal swing state worth 19 votes in the electoral college could be valuable to Harris and boost down-ballot candidates in Pennsylvania.

Those reportedly being vetted for the job include North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, and Cedric Richmond, a former congressman from Louisiana who served as a top aide in the Biden White House and on his campaign.

Shapiro won his gubernatorial race against far-right Republican state Sen. Doug Mastriano, of Franklin County, by 12 points in 2022 and polling by the libertarian-leaning Commonwealth Foundation have his approval ratings never falling below 50% during his term.

Who's behind Project 2025: Project 2025 decried as racist. Some contributors have trail of racist writings, activity

Shapiro was twice elected to be Pennsylvania's top prosecutor, once in 2016 and again in 2020, and he claimed several high profile victories in that office, including releasing a grand jury report outlining the sexual abuse of minors by Catholic priests and steps that diocesan leaders took to cover up the crimes.

Whitmer was also rumored to be in the running for the nation’s second-highest office, but told CBS Mornings on Monday morning that she was not being vetted to run with Harris and that she plans to serve the remainder of her term in Michigan.

All of Pennsylvania’s 159 Democratic delegates pledged their support behind Harris last Monday.

The party's convention delegates will decide on who will run against former President Donald Trump when more than 4,000 delegates meet at the Democratic National Convention over four nights starting Aug. 19 in Chicago.

The Harris campaign previously announced that they’re looking for a running mate who would best complement the vice president as they seek to unite enough voters to beat Trump ― likely someone from a battleground state or someone who can appeal to rural, moderate, or Rust Belt voters.

Those reportedly being vetted for the job include North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, and Cedric Richmond, a former congressman from Louisiana who served as a top aide in the Biden White House and on his campaign.

More Shapiro coverage What makes Josh Shapiro a VP candidate? Here's five highlights of his Pa. political career

Chris Ullery is the Philadelphia Hub Data Reporter for the USA Today Network. Reach him at cullery@couriertimes.com or find him on Twitter at @ulleryatinell.

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Josh Shapiro, Gretchen Whitmer rally for Kamala Harris in Ambler, Pa.