Mr. Shapiro, the leader of a key battleground state, remains a possible 2028 presidential candidate.
Who is Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro?
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro is seen as a rising star in the Democratic Party and one of the front-runners to be Kamala Harris’ running mate.
WASHINGTON – Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro told The Atlantic that former Vice President Kamala Harris told “blatant lies” about him in a book she wrote about her failed presidential campaign.
Shapiro was a leading Democratic vice presidential candidate, along with former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, when Harris campaigned against former President Donald Trump in 2024. She had been struggling to find a running mate after President Joe Biden withdrew from the race.
But Harris wrote in her memoir “107 Days” that she was worried Shapiro would have a hard time getting the No. 2 spot on the ticket.
“At some point, he wanted to be in the place where all the decisions were being made,” Harris wrote. “I had a nagging concern that he would not be happy in his role as number two and that it would have a negative impact on our partnership.”
Harris has chosen Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate. Mr. Shapiro and Mr. Buttigieg each endorsed her. And Shapiro remains a possible 2028 presidential candidate.
The Atlantic’s Tim Alberta, who interviewed Mr. Shapiro, said that while discussing Ms. Harris, the usually unflappable politician became “unrecognizable” and unbalanced.
“I can tell you that her account is completely false,” Shapiro told Alberta.
“So she’s trying to cover her ass by selling books,” Shapiro added, before recovering and saying it was inappropriate for her to say such things. “She’s trying to sell books. Fair enough.”
Mr. Shapiro is leading in key battleground states and could become the Democratic presidential nominee, but a Granite State poll conducted in October showed him trailing other candidates, including Mr. Buttigieg, in the primary state of New Hampshire.
Shapiro became Pennsylvania’s third Jewish governor in 2022 after serving as state attorney general and state legislator. Although he is seen as a liberal on social issues such as abortion, his actions to expand school choice and eliminate college degree requirements for 65,000 state government jobs were also praised by conservatives, his first actions as governor.
Mr. Shapiro was the victim of violence that plagues politicians of both parties in this polarized country. In April, the governor’s mansion was bombed with an incendiary bomb while Shapiro and his family were inside, but they escaped injury. The arsonist pleaded guilty in October.
