Jewish Democrat Josh Shapiro is testing his political strength in Pennsylvania’s midterm elections
LOCK HAVEN, Pa. — Josh Shapiro may be a heavy favorite for re-election as Pennsylvania governor, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot at stake for him this year.
The swing-state Democrat, an observant Jew who was the victim of an anti-Semitic arson attack last year, was considered a candidate to replace then-presidential candidate Kamala Harris in 2024 and is widely seen as a likely candidate in 2028.
He stood out among his party’s presidential candidates for his continued support of Israel. A memoir published earlier this year discussed his Judaism in detail and said that Harris’ vetting team had asked him whether he had ever been “a double agent for Israel.”
Shapiro is just starting the campaign and wants voters to give Democrats control of the Pennsylvania state legislature for the first time in decades. And he is pushing his favorite candidates in competitive congressional primaries, an attempt to shape his party’s slate in the midterm elections that will decide control of Washington.
All of this means that Shapiro, much like other potential Democratic presidential candidates, is testing his political capital in ways that could shape his future and that of the party.
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Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, who is also Jewish, successfully represented his favorite candidate in his state’s US Senate primaries. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore failed to convince lawmakers to redraw the state’s congressional map, while California Gov. Gavin Newsom won redistricting through a voter referendum last year.
Shapiro brushed off questions — and criticism from Republicans — about polishing his credentials to run for the White House.
“The only thing I’m focused on is beating my opponent for governor and helping other Democrats get elected here and sending them a clear message.” [US President] “Donald Trump has stated that the chaos, cruelty and corruption that he is involved in is not something we support here in Pennsylvania,” Shapiro told The Associated Press after speaking to Democrats at a crowded cafe in the small town of Lock Haven.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro smiles as he is introduced to the crowd at a Clinton County Democratic Party event at 209 Cafe Avenue in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, on April 11, 2026. (AP/Marc Levy)
Shapiro has never said whether he is interested in running for president. But he says he wants to have a voice in his party’s future. Democrats need to figure out how to “get things done” to improve people’s lives, he said, and he wants to be “part of that conversation.”
Stacy Garrity, the Republican state treasurer running for governor, said Shapiro can’t hide his ambition — and that’s bad for the state.
“We all know he cares more about Pennsylvania Avenue than supporting Pennsylvania families,” she said in an interview. “He thinks if he can hand Pennsylvania to the Democratic Party on a platter, then maybe they will take a closer look at him.”
A chance to demonstrate strength
It just might be you.
Pennsylvania is a difficult state to be politically successful in, and that’s why Democrats across the country are taking note of Shapiro, said Paul Begala, a Democratic campaign strategist, commentator and senior adviser to Bill Clinton when he was president.
The election gives Shapiro an opportunity to demonstrate strength.
“Right now, what Democrats want most is a winner, and a very close second is a fighter,” Begala said. “This election is an opportunity for him to show that.”
The crowd reacts to Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro as he speaks at a Center County Democratic Party event at the Penn Stater Hotel in State College, Pennsylvania on April 11, 2026. (AP/Marc Levy)
Shapiro is one of the country’s most prominent Jewish politicians as anti-Semitism rises across America, and he has made his religion central to his political identity – what he describes as “living out his faith loudly.”
As a moderate politician, one of the reasons he stands out is that his center-left policies surrounding the state of Israel are being scrutinized. When the Harris team asked him, “Have you ever been an agent of the Israeli government?” He wrote that he was outraged by the question.
Although he declined to specifically call the remark anti-Semitic, he said he “told her how offensive the question was” and said the episode “said a lot about some of the people around the vice president.”
As a supporter of the two-state solution, Shapiro defended Israel’s right to defend itself after the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023. He also expressed concern for Palestinian civilians and criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a “dangerous and destructive force.” He has drawn progressive ire with his criticism of anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian campus protests.
In a recent interview on the All In podcast, Shapiro said, “There should be no nuance when it comes to anti-Semitism,” but that “we need to protect a space for nuance when it comes to Middle East policy.”
The governor also voiced sharp criticism of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, which he called a “war of choice,” and raised the possibility that Netanyahu had “pressured” Trump to start it.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro speaks during an international convention of the B’nai B’rith Youth Organization in Philadelphia on Feb. 12, 2026. (Joe Lamberti/AP)
Ahead of this year’s election campaign, Shapiro put his stamp on the Pennsylvania Democratic Party by getting committee members to elect his hand-picked chairman and has funneled more than $900,000 into the organization’s accounts so far this election cycle.
He is on track to break his own fundraising record in the state and is telling voters that Pennsylvania is the “center of the political universe” in the fight for control of the U.S. House of Representatives.
The Democrats want to swap four seats in the House of Representatives in Pennsylvania in order to achieve the hoped-for majority in the 435-seat body. Shapiro has already taken out an ad for Bob Brooks, the president of the state firefighters union, who is running in a closely contested four-way primary for the chance to challenge freshman Republican U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie.
Contested primaries and Republican surrogates
Shapiro’s support hasn’t deterred Democratic rivals.
Ryan Crosswell, a former federal prosecutor running against Brooks, released a campaign memo in which he said — in a veiled reference to the governor — that Crosswell had “no party machine behind him, no power broker network, no favors to call upon.”
For his part, Shapiro said, “I’m just focused on promoting good people. Hopefully they all win.”
The Republicans, meanwhile, have their own deputies.
Garrity said the White House asked her for a list of people she would like to visit Pennsylvania.
Trump, US Vice President JD Vance and a number of Cabinet secretaries have already visited the state’s contested congressional districts. Earlier this month, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson held a fundraiser in Pennsylvania.
U.S. President Donald Trump gestures after his speech at Mount Airy Casino Resort on December 9, 2025 in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
It is very likely that Johnson will return: Pennsylvania was his last campaign stop before the 2024 election.
Trump and Vance could also return, and in the meantime the president is keeping an eye on Pennsylvania. On Tuesday night, he took to social media to praise the owners of two coal-fired power plants’ decision not to close, which he called a “HUGE WIN for the Great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, which I love.”
Shapiro heads to the campaign trail
As Shapiro begins his campaign, he is proving to be a magnet even in remote areas of Pennsylvania. Earlier this month, he helped pack a ballroom for the Center County Democrats and the cafe for the Clinton County Democrats.
“I saw brand new people, I saw people who haven’t been involved in the party in years,” said Bre Brannan, chairman of the Clinton County Democratic Party. There were also Republicans and independents in the crowd, she said.
With a Democratic “trifecta,” Shapiro tells the audience, he could accomplish more, pointing to legislation stalled by Republicans. This includes raising the minimum wage in Pennsylvania and expanding legal protections for LGBT residents. He also has a housing affordability plan that he is pushing forward this year.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (r) speaks with Reverend Al Sharpton during the National Action Network (NAN) Convention in New York, April 8, 2026. (AP/Angelina Katsanis)
Consolidating control of the state legislature would be no easy task. Democrats hold a one-seat majority in the state House of Representatives and have not had a majority in the state Senate in more than three decades.
Few Democrats interested in the party’s 2028 presidential nomination have the opportunity to demonstrate political strength and party-building skills in swing states.
The opportunity could help Shapiro showcase his mettle as the presidential campaign season begins and potential candidates look for institutional support, endorsements and donor commitments.
Putting money into voting rounds and flipping seats may not help Shapiro with the average voter. But activists, donors and other elected officials care deeply, strategists say.
Success would strengthen Shapiro’s position at a time when candidates are trying to win the “perception” that they are the strongest candidate, said Mike Mikus, Democratic campaign strategist.
“It doesn’t guarantee anything,” Mikus said. “But it’s definitely something you have to bring to the table when you’re listing donors, supporters and funders, etc. It’s compelling to them.”
