Baron Vanderburg, who works in higher education and also serves as a township supervisor in Lehigh Valley, was holding one of the “G-S-D” signs and said it speaks to the governor’s commitment to the commonwealth, such as his effort to increase public education funding.
“When you say you’re going to do something, you do it,” Vanderburg said. “It might take you a little bit of time or maybe a little bit longer, but it shows me a commitment to getting s*** done, or getting things done,” he said.
Supporters of Gov. Josh Shapiro rally during the governor’s first reelection campaign rally in Philadelphia. (Carmen Russell-Sluchansky/WHYY)
Shapiro, a Democrat first elected in 2022, released a video announcement early Thursday morning highlighting accomplishments from his first term. The video begins with scenes from the fiery truck crash that led to the 2023 I-95 bridge collapse in Philadelphia. The governor then touts how the state repaired the bridge within 12 days.
“We cut through the red tape to get I-95 rebuilt in record time,” he said. “We did it using materials from a Pennsylvania business and with the muscle and know-how of Pennsylvania union workers.”
Olive Alam, a member of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 98, said that Shapiro’s support for labor is what motivated her to support him.
“He has done a lot for the working class,” she said. “Not everything can be perfect, but he’s making a great effort, so I’m happy to support him not only as a union member, but also as a resident of Pennsylvania.”
Supporters of Gov. Josh Shapiro rally during the governor’s first reelection campaign rally in Philadelphia. (Carmen Russell-Sluchansky/WHYY)
The governor enters the race with strong name recognition and a sizable fundraising advantage. His campaign raised $23 million last year, giving him more than $30 million in cash as he officially starts his campaign. That beats the previous record, also set by Shapiro’s $13.4 million at the start of 2022.
Republicans, however, are already coalescing around a presumptive nominee, state Treasurer Stacy Garrity, who announced her campaign in August. While Garrity lacks the profile and funding of the governor, she boasts the record for total vote tally for a statewide office, which she garnered during her 2024 reelection.
Doug Mastriano, a Republican state senator who ran against Shapiro four years ago, announced in an online video Wednesday that he would not mount a primary campaign against Garrity.
“God has not called us to run for governor this year,” Mastriano said in a Facebook livestream.
Shapiro’s reelection bid comes as Pennsylvania remains one of the country’s most closely watched swing states, in which competitive races across the state will determine who controls the state Legislature as well as the U.S. House of Representatives.
Democrats like Pennsylvania Democratic Party Chair Eugene DePasquale hope Shapiro’s popularity will ensure Democrats are favored in November.
“With him at the top of the ticket, the Pennsylvania Democratic Party is in a great position to win races up and down the ballot across the Commonwealth this cycle,” DePasquale said in a statement. “This includes not only expanding in the state house and winning the state senate but flipping our targeted congressional seats to deliver a check on Trump’s chaos in Washington.”
Shapiro, who was considered for Kamala Harris’ running mate in the 2024 presidential election, is widely speculated to be a contender in the 2028 presidential race. Garrity has criticized Shapiro for having his eyes on a higher office.
“While Josh Shapiro has been running for president and fundraising in California and other liberal states, raising money from far left megadoors Bloomberg and Soros, critical problems have been ignored,” Garrity said in a video on her website.
However, that didn’t concern the governor’s supporters in North Philly. Alam said that she “hopes” Shapiro runs for president.
“I would be happy to support him,” she said.