PITTSBURGH — Days after President Joe Biden wrapped up his 2024 campaign and confirmed Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor, Democrats across the country rushed to rally behind him. In Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia Democratic Party went a step further — endorsing not only Harris, but a ticket with Harris, backed by Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro.
As Harris begins an unusually fast search for a vice presidential nominee, Shapiro’s allies in the state are being singled out by a particularly public and vocal push to elevate their governor. Shapiro, who is up for election in 2022 and has been the state’s attorney general twice before, largely deflected questions in recent days about speculation about a candidate. So are Governor Roy Cooper of North Carolina, Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona and others.
But their friends make enough noise on their own.
Former Rep. Bob Brady, chairman of the Philadelphia Democratic Party, told NBC News that Harris will win Pennsylvania with Shapiro on the ticket.
“I’m not guaranteeing anything, but I will guarantee it,” said Brady, who announced his committee was endorsing Shapiro for VP “with no opposition.” He continued: “No question about it. We are very enthusiastic, we are so upset.”
“We’re hustling for our beloved son,” Brady said, gushing about Shapiro’s possible election, calling Shapiro’s endorsement “a no-brainer” and adding, “He checks every box.”
Pennsylvania House Speaker Joanna McClinton also endorsed the Harris-Shapiro ticket, telling NBC News, “When I think about winning Pennsylvania, the first thing I think about is our governor, because Governor Shapiro won Pennsylvania three times.”
Former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell said Shapiro was “the type of man every mother in Pennsylvania would hope her son would grow up to be.”
Rendell said the level of enthusiasm in Pennsylvania is already “sky high” for Harris, but believes it will be “off the charts” with Shapiro on the ticket.
The push contrasts sharply with what Shapiro said when fielding multiple media questions about Harris’ campaign. On Sunday, Shapiro released a statement quickly endorsing Harris and celebrating their relationship, adding that he spoke with Biden and Harris after their announcements and that he had known Harris for “nearly two decades.”
Since then, Shapiro has repeatedly told reporters that it was a “deeply personal decision” by Harris, adding that it “must be freed from any political pressure.”
Shapiro kept his local public schedule amid a new squeeze of national attention Wednesday in New Castle, Pennsylvania, to speak about a new law reforming pharmacy benefit manager rules. Like everything else that passes Pennsylvania’s divided state legislature, it required bipartisan cooperation. “We’re proving that we can bring Republicans and Democrats together to do meaningful things,” Shapiro said.
When asked about the support of people like Brady and McClinton, Shapiro told NBC News, “I’m certainly grateful for the kindness that Speaker McClinton and Congressman Brady have shared, it’s a process that the vice president has to go through and make his decision based on the factors that he puts forth.” ”
Brady doesn’t see his and others’ push for Shapiro as political pressure on Harris, insisting it was “110%” his decision.
“If it’s not Josh Shapiro, whoever it is, we’re going to rally around them,” Brady said.
While pro-Shapiro voices have been especially vocal in his state, similar efforts are heating up elsewhere. In North Carolina, where Cooper is being considered, state Democratic Party Chairman Anderson Clayton and Rep. Deborah Ross are as well They posted pictures of themselves with their governors on X“I know I will be chosen as VP 👀” he writes
In Arizona, members of the state’s Democratic Party board endorsed Kelly as Harris’ running mate on Thursday, citing her ability to “help working families, grow our economy and keep our communities safe and secure.”
“We are confident that if Senator Kelly is on the ballot, Vice President Harris can build a winning coalition to defeat Donald Trump and JD Vance in November,” the state announced, adding that “the road to the White House runs through Arizona at this stage. “.
It is unclear whether such public displays have had any influence on the vice president’s past or present decisions. But they can be a useful manifestation of loyalty. Hours before the Arizona party released a statement endorsing Kelly, Arizona Democratic Party Chairwoman Yolanda Bejarano initially declined to endorse Kelly at a press conference in Phoenix, telling NBC News, “It’s something we’re going to take the vice president’s word for. verdict.”
And of course, not everyone is lining up behind the VP hopeful in their home country.
Erin McClelland, Democratic candidate for Pennsylvania state treasurer who defeated the candidate endorsed by the state party in elementary school this year Posted in X v. Shapiro, a sexual harassment case against a former Shapiro aide.
“I want a VP pick who is credible enough to run second under a woman, who is happy to be VP and who doesn’t undermine the President to maneuver his election and who isn’t swept up in a sexual harassment case. I want someone who can talk to rural voters. This is @RoyCooperNC,” McClelland wrote.
Brady responded by calling McClelland a “nut” and said he thought he made a “huge mistake.” “I think he just screwed himself over and I’m not happy with him at all,” he said.
Pennsylvania Sen. Sharif Street, the state’s Democratic Party chairman, paid tribute to Harris and stood by his full support of Shapiro in an interview. “As a state party, I don’t think of telling the vice president who should choose our presidential candidate. I don’t do that,” he said.
But Street added, “I’m telling you, I think Josh is going to do a great job.”
Like others, Street noted that Shapiro has been the top vote-getter in Pennsylvania in past elections, including when he shared the ticket with presidential candidates Biden and Hillary Clinton. And Street noted that he was “effective” in working with the GOP state Senate and the Democratic state House in Harrisburg.
“My job is to make sure we win state,” Street said. “I think Kamala Harris is going to win Pennsylvania no matter which vice president is elected. But, I mean, if I could go and elect our governor, I’d be disingenuous to say that it wouldn’t make things easier.