4 things to know about Josh Shapiro and the veepstakes

The dust has barely settled on President Joe Biden’s decision to drop out of the 2024 presidential race, but with the Democratic Party quickly consolidating around Kamala Harris to be the party’s presidential nominee, there’s already plenty of speculation about who will be Harris’ running mate.

One of the names consistently mentioned by both media and politicos is Gov. Josh Shapiro, Pennsylvania’s first-term governor who has also served two terms as state attorney general. 

Below, City & State takes a look at some of the early chatter around a potential Harris-Shapiro presidential ticket.

1. Pennsylvania Democratic leaders are pushing for a Harris-Shapiro ticket

Some of Pennsylvania’s top Democrats are already publicly backing Shapiro as a potential VP pick for Harris. 

Bob Brady, the former Member of Congress who currently chairs the Philadelphia Democratic Party, said in a statement on Sunday that Shapiro would be an “excellent” running mate for Harris.

“Like President Biden, Vice President Harris will have the immense responsibility of choosing a Vice Presidential nominee. Our Governor, Josh Shapiro, would be an excellent choice,” Brady said. “His addition to the Democratic ticket would significantly boost our chances in Pennsylvania and in communities like ours across the country. As a governing partner, Josh’s ‘Get Sh*t Done’ mentality and bipartisan track record are exactly what America wants and needs.”

Pennsylvania House Speaker Joanna McClinton also backed a potential Harris-Shapiro ticket over the weekend. In a post on X, McClinton cited Shapiro’s electoral success in Pennsylvania as a major reason why, in her eyes, he would make a solid pick. 

2. BetOnline gives Shapiro the best odds to land VP slot

The online gambling company BetOnline currently gives Shapiro the best odds to be Harris’ pick for vice president. In a list that includes Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, and celebrities like Oprah Winfrey and George Clooney, Shapiro still retains the best odds of landing the VP slot, according to the site. 

3. Shapiro outperformed Biden in Pennsylvania in 2020

Shapiro has found repeated electoral success in Pennsylvania throughout his political career, often outperforming presidential candidates in the state, according to official state election returns.

During the 2016 presidential election Shapiro outperformed both Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and GOP nominee Donald Trump. Clinton secured 2,926,441 votes in 2016, compared to Trump’s 2,970,733 votes. Meanwhile, Shapiro pulled in 3,057,010 votes. 

In 2020, Shapiro also outperformed the winner of that contest, Democratic nominee Joe Biden, by a little more than 3,000 votes. Biden received 3,458,229 votes in 2020, while Shapiro finished with 3,461,472 votes in the Keystone State. 

4. A recent poll showed a Harris-Shapiro ticket running 1 point ahead of the Trump-Vance ticket

There’s already been some polling looking at the potential performance of a Harris-Shapiro ticket.

A poll conducted by Public Policy Polling and first reported by Politico shows a Harris-Shapiro ticket polling one point ahead of the Trump-Vance ticket in Pennsylvania, which could be enticing for Harris as she looks to shore up support in key battleground states. 

The poll also explores a Harris-Whitmer ticket, and the results show Harris and Trump tied at 46% in Michigan under those circumstances.