Updated January 8, 2026 at 4:59 PM EST
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro launched his long-awaited re-election bid at a Pittsburgh carpenters union hall Thursday afternoon, promising a second term which could both cut red tape and affirm the bonds that join Pennsylvanians — and the country — together.
"We've got more stuff to do, we've got more people to help, and we've got more problems to solve," Shapiro said to an enthusiastic crowd of party activists and Democratic elected officials. "So with a servant's heart ... and with a hunger to do more for you, I am here to announce that I am running for reelection as governor of this great commonwealth."
Shapiro did not mention his likely Republican rival, state Treasurer Stacy Garrity, in the roughly 25-minute address. Much of the speech, and remarks by other speakers, revisited a familiar list of accomplishments, including budgets that have increased spending on public safety and public education, including investments in universal free breakfast programs and additional mental health staffing in public schools. And it included Shapiro's by-now familiar and often-repeated promise to "get stuff done," including more governmental efficiencies and a long-sought increase of the state's minimum wage to $15 an hour.
But if such promises are the meat and potatoes of Democratic campaigns, Shapiro also sought to link them to a broader vision — one which pitted him against the "chaos" of national politics, by arguing that everyday accomplishments can be an antidote to extremism.
Acknowledging that "it's easier to see the chaos and just turn off the TV, retreat and let someone else do the work," Shapiro urged his audience not to do so. "You've got the power, and I've got your backs. And together we're going to win our reelection," Shapiro said at the conclusion of the address.
"And from here in Pennsylvania, the birthplace of our democracy, we will send a clear message that division does not define us, that progress is still possible when we work together, and that we can build a commonwealth where everyone has the freedom to chart their own course and the opportunity to succeed."
Shapiro is widely believed to have national aspirations of his own, including a potential presidential run in 2028. And Republicans have already made clear that they will seek to define him as having an eye on the next race before he has won this one. But if Shapiro's soaring rhetoric sounds like it would fit on a national stage as well, Shapiro's speech argued that delivering the kind of effective government everyday people want can itself be a powerful antidote to a deeply divided national climate.
"The choice in this race couldn't be clearer," Shapiro said. "Will we continue to do the hard work of bringing people together to get stuff done, or will we descend into the chaos and extremism that has gripped too many other places across our nation?"
And Shapiro supporters, both those sharing the stage with the governor Thursday and those across the country, made clear that while all politics is local, they saw the race in a broader context.
State Democratic chair Eugene DePasquale, who took the reins of the party with Shapiro's backing last year, said that a Shapiro win could herald Democratic wins up and down the ballot, with implications for the entire country. Democrats could also retain control of the state House and flip the state Senate, and if they can in some key Congressional contests, "We have the chance to make Donald Trump a lame duck," he said. "That's our job: Win these elections, end the chaos, keep moving Pennsylvania forward."
Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato said the stakes were high in local communities as well. She noted Shapiro's investments in regional development projects, and his support at times of crisis, like last year's fatal explosion at the Clairton Coke Works.
To workers' families, Innamorato said, Shapiro "offered condolences and comfort in a really difficult time. ... He showed up and it was about compassion," she said. "But he also offered the county tangible support" to rebuild from the disaster, including state help in obtaining enhanced air-quality monitors around the site.
"In Allegheny County, this governor — he has our backs," she said. "So let's send him back to Harrisburg for four more years."
The Democratic Governors Association and its chair, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear welcomed the announcement Thursday. In a statement, Beshear credited Shapiro for having "brought people together and gotten stuff done — even with one of the only divided legislatures in the country." He praised Shapiro for increasing state funding for police and schools, and for an increase in 18,000 jobs across the state.
The Republican Governor's Association, which supports GOP gubernatorial candidates, issued a welcome of its own, suggesting that Shapiro's "fiscal management" was responsible for the fact that "Pennsylvania families are paying more for groceries, utilities, and basic needs." Echoing an already-familiar criticism of Shapiro — that he is focused on a potential 2028 Presidential run — the statement asserted, "Shapiro has been more focused on his political ambitions while Pennsylvania's economy, fiscal stability, and business climate are among the worst in the country."
The GOP based that assessment on a US News and World Report survey, though such rankings can vary widely: The Shapiro administration points to much more positive data about factors that include the business climate and the state's growth performance compared to other neighboring states. Voters can likely expect to hear a fulsome discussion of such perspectives this year (especially if they watch the commercials during broadcasts of "Jeopardy!")
But Shapiro also garnered testimonials from speakers like Carpenters union official Steve Mazza, who noted that the state had seen below-average unemployment rates during Shapiro's tenure. "This reflects the labor market where workers have real opportunity and security," Mazza said. And he said that record explains why carpenters and other building-trades unions "want to bring him back for four more years."
Such success, Lt. Gov. Austin Davis said, showed that "We've put progress over partisanship [and] shown leadership that expands opportunity rather than restricts it."
Copyright 2026 90.5 WESA