Pennsylvania Democrats line up behind Kamala Harris, with some endorsing Josh Shapiro as VP

Vice President Kamala Harris introduces President Joe Biden during a campaign rally at Girard College on May 29, 2024 in Philadelphia. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Pennsylvania Democrats lined up behind Vice President Kamala Harris on Sunday, as she announced she would seek the party nomination after President Joe Biden bowed out of the race and gave her his endorsement. At the same time, some also indicated they would support Gov. Josh Shapiro as Harris’ running mate, after he threw his support behind her for president. 

“I’ve known Kamala Harris for nearly two decades – we’ve both been prosecutors, we’ve both stood up for the rule of law, we’ve both fought for the people and delivered results,” Shapiro said Sunday. “Kamala Harris is a patriot worthy of our support and she will continue the work of generations of Americans who came before us to perfect our union, protect our democracy, and advance real freedom. She has served the country honorably as Vice President and she is ready to be President.”

Shapiro added the best path forward for the Democratic Party “is to quickly unite behind Vice President Harris and refocus on winning the presidency,” adding the road to victory runs through Pennsylvania. “I will do everything I can to help elect Kamala Harris as the 47th President of the United States.”

A Shapiro spokesman confirmed that the governor spoke with Harris on Sunday.

Pennsylvania U.S. Sen. Bob Casey also endorsed Harris, a key battleground support from a longtime friend of Biden’s. 

“With women’s rights, workers’ rights, and voting rights on the line, the stakes of this election for Pennsylvania and the Nation couldn’t be higher,” Casey said in a statement. “Vice President Harris has been leading on those fights and as a former prosecutor, she will draw a clear contrast between herself and former President Trump. She is prepared to be Commander-in-Chief and is the best person to meet this moment. I’m proud to endorse her candidacy.”

U.S. Rep. Summer Lee (D-12th District), who earlier this month defended Harris as Democrats’ obvious choice if Biden dropped out, reiterated her support on Sunday.

“We thank President Biden for doing what he believes is best for our country and making the difficult decision to step down,” Lee said in a statement. “We have no time to waste — what’s at stake for communities like mine isn’t abstract. We need to unify and move forward to defeat Trump and fascism in November. That’s why I endorse and encourage unity behind Vice President Kamala Harris.”

Pennsylvania House Speaker Joanna McClinton (D-Philadelphia) said she’s grateful to Biden for his accomplishments in the Oval Office but also recognizes that with aging come changes that may make things difficult that weren’t a week, a month or even a year before. 

“I appreciate the fact that his tenacity has brought him to this point,” McClinton said. “It was his decision to make in terms of recognizing how much work it will take over the next few months, getting across the entire nation, getting them fired up and ready to participate in our democracy. And most importantly, defeat Trump.”

Harris’ record as a public servant, prosecutor and defender of democracy and women’s rights have primed her to make history as the nation’s first woman president, McClinton said.

“Who better to turn the page in American history after 250 years,” McClinton, who is the first woman and the first woman of color to serve as speaker in Pennsylvania, told the Capital-Star on Sunday. Asked how Harris could secure the swing votes in battleground states like Pennsylvania, McClinton said, “The best thing she can do is choose Governor Josh Shapiro to be her running mate.”

Shapiro’s record of working with a divided legislature to pass legislation to correct decades of inequitable school funding, return tax dollars to seniors and to fight for families, both as governor and attorney general, qualify him for the job, she said. 

“Of course, he hasn’t had the privilege to defeat Trump personally, but running against Sen. [Doug] Mastriano, who was Trump’s pick, he defeated him significantly,” McClinton said.  Shapiro beat Mastriano in Pennsylvania’s 2022 gubernatorial race by 15 points.

“Gov. Josh Shapiro would be an excellent choice to get with independent voters, to persuade moderate Republican voters,” McClinton added. “Given his electoral success in a battleground state like Pennsylvania, he would be a natural choice.”

Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey said in a statement that he looked forward to joining Harris on the campaign trail. “Kamala has the passion, energy, and experience to win this race and deliver for the people of Pittsburgh,” Gainey said. 

Montgomery County Commissioner Neil Makhija, who is a Pennsylvania delegate to next month’s Democratic National Convention, was one of the first to endorse Harris on Sunday after Biden dropped out. Montgomery is Shapiro’s home county, where he previously served as commissioner. “She can win, She will win, and PA will bring it home,” Makhija said. 

State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta (D-Philadelphia), who is running for state auditor general, endorsed Harris on Sunday in a thread on social media where he also praised Biden.

“In January we will drop the ‘vice’ and simply call her Madam President,” Kenyatta said.

U.S. Reps. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-5th District), Brendan Boyle (D-2nd District), Dwight Evans (D-3rd District) and Susan Wild (D-7th District) all endorsed Harris on Sunday as well. 

Shapiro is scheduled to be in Pittsburgh on Monday, where he will join U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan to announce local recipients of a climate grants program. It seems likely he’ll be asked about Sunday’s events.

This article was updated at 9:54 p.m. July 21, 2024 to add that Shapiro spoke with Harris on Sunday.

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