Who is Austin Davis? A look at Pennsylvania’s Lt. Governor seeking reelection
ALLEGHENY COUNTY, Pa. —
Democratic Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. Austin Davis is seeking reelection alongside Gov. Josh Shapiro for the Nov. 3, 2026, midterms.
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Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Austin Davis
Here’s what we know about Davis, according to his campaign website and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Western Pennsylvania roots
Davis grew up in the Mon Valley, a historic industrial region south of Pittsburgh, where he said he witnessed the challenges facing working families. His mother worked as a hairdresser in McKeesport for more than 40 years, while his father was a union bus driver.
According to his campaign, an incident of gun violence in Davis’ neighborhood helped inspire him to pursue a career in public service. Davis became a first-generation college graduate after earning a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Pittsburgh.
Davis currently lives in Allegheny County with his wife, Blayre Holmes Davis, and their daughter, according to his campaign website.
ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS
Kamala Harris greets the daughter of Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis and his wife as she arrives at Pittsburgh International Airport on September 2, 2024.
Start of public service career
Davis began his career in Allegheny County government, where he worked on the county’s vision and transition teams and helped establish its first violence prevention office, according to his campaign website.
In 2018, voters elected Davis to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. His Democratic colleagues later selected him to lead the Allegheny County House Democratic Delegation.
Election as lieutenant governor
Davis ran for lieutenant governor in 2022 alongside then-Attorney General Josh Shapiro. He won the Democratic nomination after carrying all 67 Pennsylvania counties in a three-candidate primary.
Voters subsequently elected Davis as Pennsylvania’s 35th lieutenant governor. According to his campaign website, he is the country’s youngest sitting lieutenant governor.
SOPA Images
Austin Davis speaks at a campaign rally at Bloomsburg University.
As lieutenant governor, Davis serves as president of the Pennsylvania Senate and chairs several state bodies, including:
The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and DelinquencyThe Pennsylvania Board of PardonsThe Pennsylvania Emergency Management CouncilThe Governor’s Local Government Advisory CommitteeThe Pennsylvania Advisory Council for Inclusive ProcurementThe Pennsylvania chapter of the Aerospace States AssociationHe also serves as co-chair of the Pennsylvania Early Learning Investment Commission.Public safety and youth programs
Davis’ campaign website credits him with helping direct $85 million in Violence Intervention and Prevention grants to more than 130 projects across Pennsylvania. It also cites a $5 million funding increase to improve security at houses of worship and community centers and $60 million in new funding for county 911 services.
Davis also supported an $11.5 million investment to launch the Building Opportunity Through Out-of-School Time program. Known as BOOST, the initiative supported 46 programs during its first year and provides supervised environments for young people outside school hours, according to his campaign.
His campaign also credits him with supporting the reestablishment of Pennsylvania’s Office of Gun Violence Prevention and securing a $4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to expand hospital-based violence intervention programs.
Tom Williams
Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. Austin Davis speaks during a rally for Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz in the Fitzgerald Field House at the University of Pittsburgh in 2024.
Changes to the pardons process
As chair of the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons, Davis has overseen changes intended to make the application process more accessible and efficient.
According to his campaign website, those changes include:
Launching a fully online pardon application systemIncreasing staffing to process applicationsHolding a record number of pardon hearings
Davis also has served as chair of the Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association and as a member of the National Lieutenant Governors Association.
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