DILLSBURG, Pa. (WHTM) - Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro said on Wednesday that he plans to "ignore the noise" when it comes to calls for him to run for president in 2028.
The one-term Governor was the reported runner-up to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz to be Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate in the November election. Despite not being added to the ticket, Shapiro traveled the country campaigning for Harris.
Had Harris won, Shapiro would've potentially been blocked out of the Oval Office until 2032. Now with a Trump victory, the path is open for a potential Shapiro campaign. Even before President-elect Donald Trump takes the oath of office for a second time, Democrats are calling for Shapiro to run.
"I think the most important thing I can do is do my job," said Shapiro during an event Wednesday in York County. "I love my job, I love serving as Governor and I'm going to continue to do this work with the fervor that I've done it with over the last 18, 19 months. It is critically important that we deliver for the good people of Pennsylvania. We stay focused on results-oriented work, putting points on the board every single day getting stuff done. That's what I'm going to continue to do and ignore the noise."
A former Attorney General and state legislator, the 51-year-old Shapiro is up for re-election in 2026 and will be term-limited if he finishes a second term in 2030. A July Emerson College Polling/The Hill survey found 49% of Pennsylvanians surveyed approved of Shapiro's job performance as governor. An April Franklin & Marshall College Poll found 54% of voters believe Shapiro has done an excellent or good job as Governor.
"Probably the biggest winner on election night," said Mike Manzo of Triad Strategies. "If 2026 turns out to be a bad midterm for the Republicans, (Shapiro's) sitting on the top of the ticket for in Pennsylvania. You know, so if he runs away with that the following January, he's in Iowa."
