Former President Barack Obama and then-President Joe Biden rally for then-gubernatorial candidate Josh Shapiro at Temple University’s Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, November 5, 2022. (Photo: VisibleTogether)
[VT | October 23, 2026 | Philadelphia PA]
Pennsylvania voters will elect a governor on November 3. Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro and Lt. Gov. Austin Davis are running together again, seeking a second four-year term.
From Montgomery County to the Governor’s Office
Born in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1973, Shapiro grew up in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. He graduated from the University of Rochester and earned his law degree from Georgetown University. After working as a congressional staffer, he was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 2004. He was elected a Montgomery County commissioner in 2011 and became chair of the board the following year. He was elected Pennsylvania Attorney General in 2016 and took office in 2017.
As attorney general, he announced the shutdown of a large-scale, father-and-son drug operation in Philadelphia’s Kensington neighborhood.
Former President Barack Obama and then-President Joe Biden rally for Josh Shapiro at Temple University’s Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, November 5, 2022. (Footage: ChineseinUS)
On January 17, 2023, he was sworn in as Pennsylvania’s 48th governor outside the State Capitol in Harrisburg. That March, he joined then-Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney at the Museum of the American Revolution for the Tuskegee Airmen Greater Philadelphia Chapter’s first Pilot Memorial Day.
Local and Community Affairs
On February 20, 2024, Shapiro celebrated Lunar New Year with AANHPI community leaders from across the state at the Forum Auditorium in Harrisburg. On February 26, 2025, he hosted another Lunar New Year celebration at the State Capitol, where he condemned attacks targeting specific communities and announced the appointment of the state’s first language access coordinator.
On May 28, 2025, Shapiro made his first visit as governor to Philadelphia’s Chinatown, touring small businesses in heavy rain and meeting with community leaders. The state had allocated $49,800 to Chinatown’s “Main Street Matters” initiative and launched a Chinese-language version of its election information website. At a roundtable, he said he would not rule out legal action if the federal government punished so-called “sanctuary cities” by withholding funding. He had earlier pledged not to commit state funds to the proposed 76ers arena next to Chinatown.
On the National Stage
On July 29, 2024, Shapiro and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer headlined a Harris for President rally in Montgomery County that drew more than 1,300 supporters. At the time he was widely seen as a leading contender for the Democratic vice presidential nomination, and Philadelphia Democratic leaders publicly backed him. In February 2025, President Trump appointed him to the Council of Governors.
Economic and Industrial Policy
In June 2025, Shapiro announced that Amazon would invest at least $20 billion in AI infrastructure in Pennsylvania, which the state called the largest private-sector investment in its history. In January 2026, the administration announced nearly $82 million to expand recreation and conservation projects statewide. In April, he hosted the King of the Netherlands in Philadelphia to advance cooperation in life sciences and agricultural technology. In July, at the B+labs incubator in Philadelphia, he launched the $125 million Innovate in PA 2.0 program, which the state called its largest life sciences investment in nearly 30 years.
These figures reflect announced commitments; actual investment and job creation remain to be seen.
Disputes with the Federal Government and Controversies
In September 2025, Shapiro said Pennsylvania was prepared to respond if President Trump sent the National Guard to Philadelphia. In February 2026, he wrote to the Department of Homeland Security opposing plans to convert two warehouses in Berks and Schuylkill counties into ICE detention centers that together could hold about 9,000 people. In July, DHS withdrew the plan.
At the state level, in December 2025, a Republican-led legislative committee voted 7–4 to issue subpoenas over the cost of security upgrades at his private residence.
The 2026 Re-election Campaign
By January, Shapiro’s re-election campaign had raised $30 million, another state record. He ran unopposed in the May 19 primary. That night, he and Davis officially launched their general election campaign in Bucks County, emphasizing education, the economy and community engagement.
On November 3, Shapiro and Davis will face Republican State Treasurer Stacy Garrity and her running mate, Allegheny County GOP Chair Jason Richey, as well as Libertarian Ken Krawchuk and his running mate John Thomas.
In Pennsylvania’s general election, the governor and lieutenant governor run on a joint ticket. The governor serves a four-year term and is limited to two consecutive terms. The governor leads the executive branch, proposes the annual budget, signs or vetoes legislation passed by the General Assembly and appoints state officials.
2026 Pennsylvania Election: All You Need to Know — VisibleTogether × ChineseinUS
