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Governor · PA · Democratic candidate · 2026

Josh Shapiro

Democratic candidate for governor of Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania's governor and former attorney general focused on stronger public schools, affordable housing, apprenticeships and reproductive freedom.

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Portrait of Josh Shapiro
StatePennsylvania
OfficeGovernor
ElectionNov. 3, 2026

Policy priorities

Where Josh stands.

Office policy

Funding public schools and student support

  • Supports stronger public-school funding, universal school breakfast, mental-health resources and more affordable higher education

Office policy

Lowering household costs and expanding housing

  • Supports property-tax and rent rebates, child-care tax credits and expanding affordable housing through the state’s Housing Action Plan

Office policy

Apprenticeships and pathways into skilled work

  • Supports apprenticeships, career and technical education, student-teacher stipends and streamlined occupational licensing

Office policy

Protecting abortion access and patient decisions

  • Supports expanding abortion access and protecting patients and providers, including people who travel to Pennsylvania for reproductive health care

Office policy

Affordable health care and mental-health services

  • Supports expanding affordable health coverage, mental-health resources and substance-use treatment, along with financial support for recovery-service workers

Office policy

Clean water and pollution accountability

  • Supports plugging abandoned wells, replacing lead pipes, cleaning up mine lands and holding industrial polluters accountable for air and water contamination

Record and background

Record & experience.

  1. Since 2023

    Experience

    Pennsylvania governor

    Leads Pennsylvania’s executive branch.

  2. 2017–2023

    Experience

    Pennsylvania attorney general

    Led the state’s law-enforcement and consumer-protection office.

  3. 2012–2016

    Experience

    Montgomery County commissioner

    Served as an elected county commissioner.

  4. 2005–January 2012

    Experience

    Pennsylvania state representative

    Represented the 153rd District.

  5. 2007

    Experience

    Deputy speaker

    Held a leadership appointment in the Pennsylvania House.

  6. 2007

    Experience

    Legislative reform commission co-chair

    Co-chaired the Speaker’s Commission on Legislative Reform.

  7. 2012–2016

    Experience

    Pennsylvania Convention Center board member

    Served on the convention center’s board.

  8. 2014–2015

    Experience

    Fiscal stabilization task force vice chair

    Served on Governor-elect Wolf’s budget transition task force.

  9. 2015–2022

    Experience

    Crime and delinquency commission chair

    Chaired Pennsylvania’s criminal-justice commission.

  10. 1999–2003

    Experience

    Joe Hoeffel chief of staff

    Managed Congressman Hoeffel’s office.

  11. By 2004

    Experience

    Ballard Spahr attorney

    Practiced law at the Philadelphia firm.

  12. Since 2025

    Experience

    Great Lakes governors and premiers chair

    Leads the regional governors and premiers partnership.

  13. Since 2025

    Experience

    Chesapeake Bay Executive Council chair

    Chairs the Chesapeake Bay restoration partnership.

  14. 1994

    Experience

    Rochester student association president

    Led the university’s Students’ Association.

  15. 2026

    Experience

    Memoir author

    Wrote Where We Keep the Light.

  16. July 2026

    Accomplishment

    Signed school and workforce investments

    Signed the bipartisan state budget, including increased school funding, technical education and child-care workforce support.

  • Experience

    County commissioners board chair

    Chaired Montgomery County’s governing board before becoming attorney general.

  • Experience

    Peter Deutsch senior legislative assistant

    Worked on Congressman Deutsch’s legislative staff.

  • Experience

    Carl Levin legislative aide

    Worked on Senator Levin’s staff.

  • Experience

    Robert Torricelli foreign-policy adviser

    Served as Senator Torricelli’s senior foreign-policy adviser.

  • Experience

    Stradley Ronon attorney

    Practiced law at Stradley Ronon before serving as attorney general.

  • Experience

    Governors Sportsmen’s Caucus co-chair

    Serves as the caucus’s Democratic co-chair.

  • Experience

    Israeli embassy public-affairs staff

    Worked in the embassy’s public-affairs division in Washington.

  • Experience

    Joe Hoeffel legislative director

    Worked as Congressman Hoeffel’s legislative director before his promotion.

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