Speculation mounts Harris to tap Pennsylvania’s Jewish governor Shapiro as running mate
Shapiro has emphasized Jewish heritage, been outspoken in support of Israel, criticized antisemitism at college campus protests; called Netanyahu ‘one of worst leaders of all time’
JTA — Kamala Harris will select her running mate ahead of a rally in Philadelphia next Tuesday, her campaign has announced, leading to speculation that Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro will be the pick.
Shapiro, who is Jewish, is on Harris’s shortlist for the spot, and he has already met with the presumptive nominee’s vetting team. Other contenders include Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, and a few other names.
Shapiro, who is a graduate of the Philadelphia-area Jewish day school where he sends his children, has emphasized his Jewish observance in his public life. He would be the second Jewish vice presidential nominee on a major party ticket, following Sen. Joe Lieberman, then also a Democrat, in 2000.
Harris said on Tuesday that she hadn’t finalized her decision, and a Harris campaign aide warned against inferring too much from the rally’s location. Many previous vice presidential announcements have been made outside of the nominee’s home state, such as in 2020 when Joe Biden announced Harris, then a senator from California, as his running mate at a rally in his home state of Delaware.
But other signs indicate that Shapiro may be the pick. He has canceled a weekend trip to the Hamptons for two fundraising events just days before the rally — though a spokesman did not explicitly connect that decision to the veepstakes.
“The Governor’s trip was planned several weeks ago and included several fundraisers for his own campaign committee,” Shapiro spokesman Manuel Bonder told NBC News. “His schedule has changed and he is no longer traveling to the Hamptons this weekend.”
Discussion of a Shapiro nomination has grown contentious among Democrats and campaign watchers. CNN analyst Harry Enten said he’s “clearly the best” choice in terms of the electoral advantage he brings to the ticket, as the popular governor of a large swing state.
But pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel activists have pushed back on Shapiro due to his outspoken support for Israel and criticism of antisemitism at campus protests, dubbing him “Genocide Josh.”
His defenders, in turn, have noted that all of the serious vice presidential contenders have pro-Israel records. Some commentators have suggested that the focus on Shapiro smacks of antisemitism.
Shapiro has visited Israel often, and firmly backed its right to self-defense since Hamas’s invasion and slaughter in southern Israel on October 7. He has also called Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “one of the worst leaders of all time,” saying in January that the prime minister was steering Israel in the wrong direction.
Quoted Jewish ethical text in 2022 victory speech
If Shapiro is selected, it would be the latest step in a steep political ascent. He has risen from local office to statewide positions where he has gained national attention for investigating abuse in the Catholic Church, his response to Donald Trump’s attempted assassination and more.
Throughout that time, he has also stayed involved in his Philadelphia-area Jewish community, where he sends his children to the same Jewish school he attended.
“You’ve heard me quote my scripture before — that no one is required to complete the task, but neither are we free to refrain from it, meaning each of us has a responsibility to get off the sidelines, to get in the game and to do our part,” Shapiro said in his 2022 victory speech upon being elected governor, quoting from the Jewish text Pirkei Avot (Ethics of Our Fathers).
Shapiro was involved in politics from a young age, participating in the Soviet Jewry movement by starting a pen pal program with Soviet Jewish teens. He graduated from a school that merged into what is now Perelman Jewish Day School, in addition to what is now the Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy, a community high school where he met his wife Lori.
They sent their four children — Sophia, Jonah, Max, and Reuben — to the schools, and Shapiro has returned to speak, including in the heat of campaigning. Sophia has also taken an active role in supporting her father’s campaign, running Students for Shapiro.
Shapiro was first elected to the state legislature in 2004, where he gained a bipartisan image by helping install a moderate Republican as speaker of a divided chamber. He was elected state attorney general in 2016, beating a Republican the same year Hillary Clinton lost the state (and the election) to Donald Trump.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this article.
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