Gov. Josh Shapiro kicks off reelection bid with Pittsburgh, Philadelphia events

Barely 20 miles from where Gov. Josh Shapiro held his 2022 Election Night party – when he gave his victory speech to an energetic crowd at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center – the governor capped off his 2026 bid announcement at the Alan Horowitz “Sixth Man” Center in Philadelphia on Thursday night. 

Kicking off his long-expected reelection campaign for Pennsylvania governor, Shapiro held his first event at the Carpenters Union Local 432 hall in Pittsburgh on Thursday afternoon before jetting across the state to the Philadelphia event. 

“As many of you know, for me, public service is grounded in my faith and my family,” Shapiro said to open his remarks. “My faith has called me to serve others with empathy and with a devotion to repairing the world around you.”

The move comes just a day after Shapiro’s campaign announced he has a $30 million war chest entering 2026 to begin the year “in a position of unprecedented strength,” having raised more than $10 million in the fourth quarter of 2025 and north of $23 million throughout last year.

Shapiro, 52, was considered a potential running mate for Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris in 2024, but Harris chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz instead. Shapiro’s 2026 run has both statewide and national implications amid ongoing rumors that he is eyeing a 2028 presidential run. 

Shapiro is likely to face state Treasurer Stacy Garrity, a Republican who set a record in 2024 for the most votes received in a statewide election. In 2022, Shapiro defeated Republican candidate Doug Mastriano – an outspoken far-right state senator from Franklin County – by nearly 15 points, the largest margin for a non-incumbent candidate for Pennsylvania governor since 1946. 

Having never suffered an electoral defeat, Shapiro’s political path includes stops as state representative, Montgomery County commissioner, state attorney general and his current role as a leading face of the Democratic Party both in Pennsylvania and nationwide. 

The opening pitch

Shapiro began his campaign launch video by touting his work in rebuilding a portion of I-95 in Philadelphia that collapsed, bringing it back online in just 12 days. He reiterated one of his catchphrases, “Get Shit Done,” to highlight his work in promoting apprenticeship and trade union jobs and investing in universal free breakfast programs and additional mental health staffing in public schools.

“We Pennsylvanians, we are a state of builders, a state of doers and a state of get shit done-ers,” Shapiro said, invoking one of his favorite phrases and the principles of William Penn in the same breath. “From our founders to our skilled workers who built our cities and towns, to those who descended beneath the surface of the Earth to power our country … Power isn’t just wielded in large actions and on big stages – you have enormous power.”

With a “Governor for all Pennsylvanians” banner – and a crowd of “GSD” signs, Shapiro and his allies pitched the campaign as one that can counter the “chaos” at the national level and create opportunities for commonwealth residents from all walks of life. 

“It is not possible to tell the story of our accomplishments, about the progress that we’ve made, the lives we’ve touched, without acknowledging the challenges to the founding principles of our commonwealth because of the chaos, the cruelty and the corruption in Washington,” he said. 

The lineup of speakers, including state Sen. Vincent Hughes, state Rep. Jordan Harris, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker and Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, touted the administration’s accomplishments since taking office, adding that the commonwealth needs leadership ready to meet the moment. 

“Here in Pennsylvania, we’ve chosen a much different path,” Davis said, alluding to the divisive nature of politics in the nation’s capital. “We put progress over partisanship, compassion over division, and solutions that work above all else. We've shown leadership that expands opportunity instead of restriction, leadership that fights with hope not fear, and leadership that gets shit done.”

While Shapiro has boasted about his ability to work with a divided legislature, the inability of Harrisburg lawmakers to produce a state budget on time during Shapiro’s tenure is one of a few obstacles he’s faced while in the governor’s office. 

The Pennsylvania Republican Party, chaired by state Rep. Greg Rothman, countered Shapiro’s “GSD” slogan in a statement Thursday by arguing that Shapiro “flip-flops” when speaking in front of the camera.

“Pennsylvanians have had enough of Josh Shapiro’s lack of leadership and broken promise,” Rothman said in a statement. “Stacy Garrity is a proven warrior who served her country with honor, earned the trust of voters statewide, and received more votes than any candidate in the history of our Commonwealth. She actually gets stuff done; she doesn’t just talk about it on the campaign trail.”

Nationally noteworthy

Shapiro’s campaign will likely draw even more attention to Pennsylvania, a bellwether state for both the 2026 midterms and the 2028 presidential election. Not only is Shapiro on a shortlist of potential Democratic presidential candidates, but he’s also gone across the country to tout his – and his party’s – successes on television shows and podcasts. 

He’s expanded his communications and digital teams, planned a book tour for the end of January and sat down for a number of high-profile interviews with journalists, commentators and content creators alike. In 2025 alone, Shapiro appeared on more than 26 podcasts, spanning politics, sports, and pop culture, to expand his digital presence and online engagement. 

As a potential audition for 2028, Shapiro’s 2026 bid will be closely watched – and likely criticized – by many. But with his favorability remaining relatively strong at over 50% in the commonwealth, according to a Franklin and Marshall College Poll conducted last year, his chances of reelection remain high.