PA Governor Josh Shapiro is on Vice President Kamala Harris' shortlist of potential running mates.
Credit: Julia Van LareOn July 21, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro wrote that he would do “anything [he] can to help elect @KamalaHarris as the 47th President of the United States.”
The governor’s statement, which was posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, came just under four hours after President and former Penn professor Joe Biden withdrew from the presidential race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the Democratic nomination. Days later, Shapiro has emerged as a leading contender for Harris’ vice presidential pick.
“I know Josh, and he will ‘Get Sh*t Done’ in Washington — that’s exactly what voters want to see,” Philadelphia Democratic Party Chairman and former Penn professor Bob Brady said in a statement endorsing a Harris-Shapiro ticket.
As Harris and her team evaluate VP candidates, Shapiro’s stance on Israel and his management of antisemitism and pro-Palestinian protests are likely to come into consideration. His views take on an added significance as the Democratic Party finds itself divided over the Israel-Hamas war, and he has been vocal about issues pertaining to the war along with antisemitism on Penn’s campus.
Harris has firmly reiterated Biden’s commitment to Israel and calls for a ceasefire since becoming the presumptive nominee. Following a meeting on Wednesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, she said she “will not be silent” about Palestinian suffering.
“It is time for this war to end and end in a way where Israel is secure, all the hostages are released, the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza ends, and the Palestinian people can exercise their right to freedom, dignity and self-determination,” she added.
When the Gaza Solidarity Encampment began on campus in late April, Shapiro, who is Jewish, was quick to call on Penn to maintain student safety, prevent antisemitism, and make space for open expression.
“The University of Pennsylvania declared in a public statement that student safety is their top priority and there will be consequences for words and actions that violate university policies, contribute to an intimidating or hostile environment on campus, or are not permitted by local, state, or federal law,” Manuel Bonder, a spokesperson for Shapiro, wrote to The Daily Pennsylvanian at the time. “University leaders must follow through on their word and live up to that standard.”
On May 9, Shapiro urged Penn to disband the encampment at a speech in Pittsburgh, asserting that all students have a “legal right” to feel safe on Penn's campus.
“The University of Pennsylvania has an obligation to their safety,” he said. “It is past time for the University to act, to address this, to disband the encampment, and to restore order and safety on campus.”
Less than 24 hours later, riot police swept through College Green to dismantle the Gaza Solidarity Encampment and arrest 33 individuals, including nine Penn students.
Representing Shapiro, Bonder wrote in a statement that the Penn administration “made the right decision” after the sweep.
In light of Shapiro’s comments surrounding encampments at Penn and at the University of Pittsburgh, a group named “No Genocide Josh” wrote in a statement on July 24 that Harris should not choose Shapiro as her running mate.
"Selecting a Vice Presidential nominee with anti-Palestinian and pro-war views will depress turnout among Muslim, Arab-American, and young voters, and greatly reduce the excitement that comes with a new nominee," the group wrote.
Shapiro also heavily condemned antisemitism on Penn’s campus last fall and urged former Penn President Liz Magill to step down following her congressional testimony on Dec. 5, during which she stated that whether or not individuals calling for the genocide of Jewish people were in violation of Penn's code of conduct would be “context dependent.”
Shapiro called the remarks “shameful and unacceptable” and, two days later, joined a candle-lighting ceremony at Penn Hillel to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah.
“Frankly, I thought her comments were absolutely shameful,” Shapiro said. “It should not be hard to condemn genocide.”
As concerns about antisemitism on Penn’s campus spread nationwide, a Republican-led effort in the Pennsylvania State House of Representatives voted to withhold funding from Penn’s School of Veterinary Medicine in December 2023, marking the first year Penn Vet did not receive state funding since 1889.
In February, Shapiro reallocated funding to Penn Vet in his 2024-25 fiscal year budget proposal, and on July 11, all proposed funding was given to the school. The missing 2023-24 funding has not been awarded.
In a December 2023 floor debate about the funding, Pennsylvania House Minority Leader Bryan Cutler (R-Lancaster) said that the University must do more in terms of “rooting out, calling out, and making an official stance on antisemitism” before he could support funding for Penn Vet.
Although the 2023-24 academic year marked a heightened level of Shapiro’s involvement at Penn, he has appeared on campus from the start of his gubernatorial campaign.
In October 2022, Shapiro attended a rally hosted by Penn Reproductive Justice. Since the start of his campaign, Shapiro has pushed policies supporting reproductive rights, firmly aligning him with Harris’ strictly pro-choice agenda of restoring Roe v. Wade should she enter office, after the case was overturned in 2022.
Upon his election, Shapiro also became an ex officio member of the University Board of Trustees. However, he does not have voting rights, unlike fellow ex officio Board of Trustees member Interim Penn President Larry Jameson.
Shapiro also appointed five Penn affiliates to his administration at the start of his term, four of whom still serve in his cabinet.
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