What’s next for Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro

🔵 Gov. Josh Shapiro was a leading contender to be Kamala Harris' running mate

🔵 He will campaign for Harris and Tim Walz in Pennsylvania

🔵 Did Shapiro's heritage cost him the selection?

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro plans on being a big part of Kamala Harris' presidential campaign despite being passed over as his running mate.

Harris announced Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her vice presidential nominee Tuesday morning after she held final interviews with Shapiro and U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz.  They debuted in person as the Democratic ticket at a campaign event at Temple University in Philadelphia Tuesday afternoon. The location of the event was announced before Harris made her decision known.

"I am proud to announce that I've asked Tim Walz to be my running mate. As a governor, a coach, a teacher, and a veteran, he's delivered for working families like his," Harris wrote on her X account. "It's great to have him on the team."

Shapiro said online that his work in Pennsylvania is "far from over" and that he has "a lot more stuff" he wants to get done. Shapiro is serving his first term as governor after receiving the most votes by a gubernatorial candidate in Pennsylvania history over Republican state Sen. Doug Mastriano, a strong supporter of Donald Trump.

"Over the next 90 days, I look forward to traveling all across the Commonwealth to unite Pennsylvanians behind my friends Kamala Harris and Tim Walz and defeat Donald Trump," Shapiro wrote.

At the Philadelphia rally, Shapiro praised Walz as a great man with strong midwestern values, calling him a friend he said he couldn’t wait for Pennsylvanians to get to know. Walz returned the compliment when he took the stage later with Harris in Philadelphia.

“My God, what a treasure you have in Josh Shapiro," he said. "Holy hell, can this guy bring the fire.”

Praise for Shapiro

The governor won praise from many for spearheading the fast rebuild of a Route 95 overpass in Philadelphia after it was destroyed by a tanker fire. He is a staunch proponent of abortion rights in Pennsylvania. He routinely promotes his victories in court against Trump during his two terms as state Attorney General, including beating back challenges to the 2020 election results.

It may have been Shapiro's heritage and strong support of Israel that worked against him as Harris' choice, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson told The Hill.

"I think that clearly was a major factor, is that she was reluctant to put a vice presidential nominee on the ticket with Jewish heritage because they’re having a split in the Democratic Party,” Johnson told The Hill. “They have a pro-Palestinian, in some cases pro-Hamas wing of the Democratic Party.”

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