Politics
NEW: Dem Governor Fuels 2028 Speculation With Latest Trips
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro traveled to Virginia in order to campaign for Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic Party nominee for governor, after weeks of polling and early voting data point to a tight race. The move has reignited speculation over Shapiro’s presidential ambitions as he continues to raise his national profile.
Spanberger, a former congresswoman, plans to hold multiple rallies in the Hampton Roads area ahead of Election Day, at least one of which is set to be headlined by former President Barack Obama. The Spanberger Campaign has been seeking to close strong after the scandal involving Jay Jones — the Democratic Party nominee for attorney general — provided a major shakeup in all statewide races.
Jones — who fantasized about murdering a Republican lawmaker and his children in resurfaced text messages from 2022 — has collapsed in polling averages and trails by upwards of seven percentage points, according to one recent survey from Quantus Insights.
In addition to former President Obama, the Spanberger Campaign has invited Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro to stump for their candidate over the weekend.
“Governor Shapiro this weekend is headed to New Jersey and Virginia to help elect Mikie Sherrill and Abigail Spanberger; two more Democratic governors who will focus every day on getting stuff done, delivering results for hardworking families and protecting freedom in their states,” Shapiro campaign spokesman Manuel Bonder told Fox News.
Shapiro speaks at a campaign rally in 2022
He is also expected to be campaigning in his neighboring New Jersey, the other closely watched battleground in the off-year election cycle. The governor will be stumping for Rep. Mikie Sherrill, who is locked in a tight race with Republican challenger Jack Ciattarelli.
Shapiro — who has announced that he will be seeking a second term as governor in 2026 — is among several Democrat governors whose name has often come up in 2028 discussions.
Last year, the governor headlined multiple rallies for then-Vice President Kamala Harris in the days following then-President Biden’s decision to bow out of the presidential race, leading to widespread reporting at the time that he was being considered as a potential running mate.
Harris was unexpectedly critical of Shapiro in her memoir, however, in which she shared concerns that he would struggle with accepting a second-in-command role. According to a snippet published by The Washington Post, Harris essentially felt Shapiro was arrogant and too sure of his ability to clinch the role.
“Before he had even made it through the door for the interview at the vice president’s residence, Harris writes that Shapiro began asking her residence manager about how many bedrooms were in the house and wondered aloud about whether the Smithsonian might work with him to loan Pennsylvania art for the residence,” The Post reported. Harris further mused that Shapiro would “want to be in the room for every decision” before claiming that she confronted him over the dynamic.
Shapiro fired back by stating that Harris is “going to have to answer” questions about her knowledge of former President Biden’s cognitive and physical decline.
