(The Center Square) \u2013 Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer joined Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro on the campaign trail Friday in a visit to a south Philadelphia diner.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The two Democrats, viewed as potential 2028 presidential candidates, highlighted the importance of races up and down the ballot this November.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve got an election coming up in 39 days,\u201d Whitmer said at the Morning Glory Diner. \u201cWe know you can’t sleep on Pennsylvania, just like you can’t sleep on Michigan.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe take nothing for granted,\u201d she continued. \u201cWe\u2019ve got to continue to do the work every minute until the last ballot is cast, because this is a high-stakes election.\u201d<\/p>\n
Whitmer is wrapping up her second term as governor and won\u2019t be on the ballot this November. Shapiro, on the other hand, is seeking a second term leading the Keystone State and is facing Republican Stacy Garrity, Pennsylvania\u2019s Treasurer.<\/p>\n
During brief remarks to Pennsylvania Democratic Party Voter Protection Volunteers<\/a>, Shapiro didn\u2019t mention his GOP challenger once. Instead, he took a jab at President Donald Trump and promoted Democratic candidates on the ballot this November.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cElection Night is not just about electing me and Austin (Davis): it’s about putting a check on Donald Trump,\u201d Shapiro said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Whitmer, while touting Shapiro\u2019s bid for a second term, also didn\u2019t mention Garrity by name and instead placed her focus on the Trump administration and the role governors have played during the president\u2019s second term.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe know that when Washington D.C. is making life harder, whether it’s through tariffs or a War in Iran that’s jacking up the price of everything,\u201d Whitmer said. \u201cIt’s the governors that are protecting our rights, that are making sure that we keep more money in our pockets.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s the governors who are solving problems, and you’ve got one of the best in the country, and that’s why I am here to support Josh Shapiro and the work that the Shapiro administration has done: it is a model for the country,\u201d she continued.\u00a0<\/p>\n Shapiro made the case that Democrats, for the first time since 1992, have a chance of holding a trifecta in Harrisburg by having control of the governor\u2019s mansion and majorities in the state House and Senate.\u00a0<\/p>\n Democrats currently hold a narrow majority in the state House, 103-100, while Republicans hold the advantage in the state Senate, 27-23. Shapiro laid out a list of priorities if this trifecta is achieved.<\/p>\n \u201cThe first bill that will reach my desk with a trifecta will be to raise our minimum wage to at least $15 an hour,\u201d Shapiro said. \u201cLet’s put more money in people\u2019s pockets.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTogether, with a trifecta, we’re going to codify abortion rights into law, here in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,\u201d he continued. \u201cWe’re going to codify rights for our LGBTQ brothers and sisters all across Pennsylvania.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Shapiro also said he\u2019d prioritize a \u201cmassive housing action plan,\u201d which would \u201censure that we have enough housing for the people of Pennsylvania, and a whole lot more.\u201d<\/p>\n In addition to boosting Democratic candidates running for Pennsylvania\u2019s General Assembly, Shapiro also noted that his party is aiming to flip four seats in the U.S. House, which would give Democrats a majority in the lower chamber of Congress.<\/p>\n Polling has consistently shown that Shapiro is the frontrunner in the race over Garrity, as national pundits describe the race in the swing state as \u201csafe Democrat.\u201d Shapiro also holds a massive fundraising advantage over Garrity. Campaign finance reports<\/a> released earlier this week showed that Shapiro has raised over $50 million throughout his reelection campaign, while Garrity has raised just under $3 million since announcing her bid for governor.<\/p>\n \u201cWe hope the Governors had a good cheesesteak, because Josh Shapiro\u2019s failed administration has caused hardworking Pennsylvania families heartburn every month when they open up their utility bills, stop to pick up groceries, and pay their mortgage,\u201d said Matt Beynon, a spokesperson for the Garrity campaign. \u201cJosh Shapiro sold Pennsylvania out, raking in $5.7 million from out of state data center interests while Pennsylvania communities stand in opposition to the sweetheart tax deals and fast tracked permitting he provided in return for their campaign checks.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The contentious debate over data centers have dominated the airwaves for races up and down the ballot in Pennsylvania. The Shapiro campaign<\/a> has aired multiple ads criticizing Garrity\u2019s past support of the industry, while Garrity has an ad<\/a> that accuses Shapiro of receiving over $5 million in political contributions from out-of-state data center developers.<\/p>\n The Center Square has not independently confirmed the claim, although City & State PA<\/a> previously reported that total is a reference to contributions the governor has received from a \u201crange of individuals with ties to tech and AI, though not all are data center developers.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cPennsylvania deserves a governor who will fight for our Commonwealth, and Stacy Garrity\u2019s 30 years of distinguished military service, her work promoting Pennsylvania manufacturing jobs, and her time as a watchdog of taxpayer dollars at the Treasury prove she is the candidate Pennsylvania can trust to turn Pennsylvania around,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n Friday was not the first time that Shapiro and Whitmer have appeared together on the campaign trail.<\/p>\n In 2024, when both were mentioned as potential running mates for Vice President Kamala Harris, they headlined a rally in the Philadelphia suburbs<\/a>. Harris selected Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her vice presidential nominee; Trump went on to win Pennsylvania and Michigan.\u00a0<\/p>\n Two years later, on Friday, Shapiro and Whitmer continued to laud one another as examples of how to govern and win in swing states.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cYou know, you get elected governor, they don’t give you a textbook on what you’re supposed to do. You’ve got the support of your community, the support of your Commonwealth,\u201d Shapiro said. \u201cThen, you look around and you try to model your behavior after folks who do it the right way, who are results oriented, who represent all of the people in their state.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAnd Gretchen Whitmer was Exhibit A for me: Someone I have looked up to, someone who knows how to get stuff done in her state, and someone who I think leads with integrity, with purpose, with drive, and determination,\u201d he continued. \u201cAnd so, for me to have Gretchen Whitmer here in Pennsylvania campaigning for me, that is really, really special.\u201d<\/p>\n Whitmer called Shapiro \u201cone of the nation\u2019s absolute best governors, and someone who I’ve learned a lot from, who I’ve partnered with, and I think is an inspiration for so many.\u201d<\/p>\n Whitmer\u2019s visit to Philadelphia is part of a series of events this week campaigning for Democratic candidates<\/a> for governor.\u00a0<\/p>\n While Friday’s focus was on 2026, Shapiro and Whitmer have been mentioned as potential presidential candidates in 2028. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, another potential Democratic candidate for president, was in Philadelphia on Wednesday for his book tour<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n The restaurant menu on Friday featured \u201cShapiro 2026 & 2028 sausage gravy and eggs,\u201d and \u201cVice President Witmer eats free eggs benedict.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"(The Center Square) \u2013 Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer joined Pennsylvania Gov. 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