Why Kamala Harris may ignore Josh Shapiro

There is a growing speculation around Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s odds of being selected as Kamala Harris’ running mate. While the buzz around Shapiro continues to grow, his inexperience and lack of achievement remain a liability as the public learns more about his record, according to Commonwealth Foundation’s Senior Vice President Erik Telford, in today’s Philadelphia Inquirer.

Shapiro’s record, notes Telford, points to a politician “overhyped in the national media yet underperforming in his own state,” which should raise red flags for Democrats nationwide. “But Shapiro has only been in office for 18 months and has struggled to govern, despite very colorfully promising to deliver.”

Telford continues:

Shapiro’s youth and reputation for moderation and electability seem to make him an interesting contender. So does his status as the governor of a crucial swing state. If Kamala Harris is going to win in November, she needs to win Pennsylvania first.

My colleagues at the Commonwealth Foundation recently documented what Harris and her vetting team are likely discovering. …

Shapiro has only signed 111 laws through the end of June. That’s a pitiful record, made even worse by the fact that Pennsylvania is one of the few states with a full-time legislature. …

After capitulating to pressure from fellow Democrats in the House, Shapiro was forced to veto his own campaign promise providing Lifeline/PASS Scholarships to low-income kids trapped in failing and unsafe schools. In doing so, he violated the deal he struck with Senate Republicans, resulting in lost trust and strained relationships with the legislature. Worse yet, despite repeatedly pledging to “fight for your kids as if they were my own” and calling the scholarship program “unfinished business,” Shapiro again turned his back on our most vulnerable children by refusing to fight for them in this year’s budget negotiations.

Pennsylvanians are already starting to show how the rest of America would likely react if Shapiro joined a national ticket. In new polling, we found that 54% of voters either don’t think or don’t know if the governor has delivered major accomplishments. That’s not the kind of ringing endorsement that Kamala Harris wants or needs.

And even those who think Shapiro has delivered accomplishments are hard-pressed to name any. They generally praise his public statements or simply say he’s “doing a good job” or he’s “for the people.” Only 7% can point to a single concrete action: repairing the collapsed bridge on I-95 last year.

Rebuilding a bridge is undoubtedly important, but when it comes to governing, Shapiro has proven more adept at burning bridges with fellow lawmakers than building them.

Read Erik Telford’s entire op-ed here. To schedule an interview with Telford, contact Christian Stellakis at cjs@commonwealthfoundation.org.

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