THE TEAM—GOVERNOR JOSH SHAPIRO AND LT. GOV. AUSTIN DAVIS
The hypothetical game is in full swing.
What if this happens…what if that happens…
It’s understandable that Pa. Governor Josh Shapiro and his Lieutenant Governor, McKeesport’s own Austin Davis, don’t want to play the hypothetical game, but everyone else does.
It’s conceivable that Vice President Kamala Harris, who’s now the presumptive Democratic nominee for President in the November election, could choose—any day now—Gov. Shapiro as her running mate. Assuming he accepts the invitation if asked, and if the possible Harris/Shapiro ticket claims The White House come 2025, that could propel Lt. Gov. Davis into the top spot in the state, as governor.
GOV. JOSH SHAPIRO
LT. GOV. AUSTIN DAVIS (PHOTO BY ROB TAYLOR JR.)
Austin Davis already made history by becoming Pennsylvania’s first Black Lt. Governor in January 2023. He could make more history…if…if…if all of the aforementioned plays out. And remember, all of this could play out in a matter of four to five months.
“I’m not gonna really engage in hypotheticals and what ifs,” remarked Lt. Gov. Davis during a news conference at the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, July 23. “I know I’m the Lieutenant Governor of the Common wealth of Pennsylvania, I have a job to do, and you don’t take this job without recognizing that maybe one day, you might be called upon to serve as Governor, and so if that day comes, we’re ready to serve and continue to do the good work to move the Commonwealth forward.”
Governor Shapiro happened to be in Pittsburgh on Monday, July 22, as part of an announcement that the Biden-Harris administration had awarded Pennsylvania with nearly $400 million to combat climate change pollution. But the media bombarded him with the question everyone wanted to know…would he become Harris’ running mate if asked?
“I’m not gonna engage in hypotheticals, this is a deeply personal decision that the vice president will make,” Gov. Shapiro said on July 22. “She will make it on her timetable and her own timeline. She needs to choose someone that she’s prepared to govern with, campaign with and someone she feels most comfortable with, and that decision should be made free of any sort of political pressure.”
In the jaded history of the United States of America, there have only been five Black governors. Right now, there is just one Black governor, Wes Moore, of Maryland, who’s also rumored to be on the short list as a running mate candidate for Harris. What hurts Moore, though, is that Maryland is going blue for the Democrats no matter what come November. Harris probably will pick a running mate in a swing state, like Pennsylvania, Michigan, or Arizona. In Arizona, Senator Mark Kelly is a hot name, and in Michigan, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is a candidate.
What’s known by everyone is this: If the Democrats lose Pennsylvania in the November election, they’ll most likely lose the election to Donald Trump.
LT. GOV. AUSTIN DAVIS, JULY 23, AT THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF GREATER PITTSBURGH. (PHOTO BY ROB TAYLOR JR.)
In an exclusive interview with the Courier on July 23, Lt. Gov. Davis said that he’s “extremely blessed every day to have had this opportunity to serve my community as a state rep and now Pennsylvania as Lieutenant Governor, and I’m mindful of the fact that I didn’t get here alone; I stand on the shoulders of giants. There are a ton of unsung heroes that poured into me and supported me along my way to get here, and I think that’s what we need to be creating here for every young person in Pennsylvania, to make sure we’re creating ladders of opportunity for everyone to succeed.”
Does “Governor Davis” have a good ring to it? Lieutenant Governor Davis isn’t counting any chickens before they hatch. But in the world of hypotheticals, it….could…happen. And soon.
But for now, the “Lieutenant” Governor, Austin Davis, continues to traverse the state and its 67 counties, from pillar to post, from Amish Country to the city life in North Philly, from the Poconos to the Mon Valley that he knows so well. He told the Courier he’s learned over the past year and a half as Lt. Gov., “how big and diverse our state is. We have so many issues regardless of where you’re at, but really, a lot of the issues are the same. People care about making sure they have a family-sustaining job, they care about their children’s future, and so I’ve had the opportunity to really see places that I never would have seen otherwise, and to really get to know Pennsylvanians up close and personal.”
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