What happens if Shapiro joins Harris ticket, wins election? This man becomes Pa. governor.

A Pittsburgh-area native would be next in line if Gov. Josh Shapiro were to join the Democratic ticket for the presidency and win the November election.

For Shapiro to assume the role of vice president, he'd resign from the governorship. The Pennsylvania Constitution is clear about the line of succession: "In the case of the death, conviction on impeachment, failure to qualify or resignation of the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor shall become Governor for the remainder of the term and in the case of the disability of the Governor, the powers, duties and emoluments of the office shall devolve upon the Lieutenant Governor until the disability is removed."

Harris' VP options: From Josh Shapiro to Mark Kelly, sizing up the slate's pros and cons

That means Lt. Gov. Austin Davis would be set to finish Shapiro's final two years of the term and become the first Black governor in Pennsylvania history.

Davis, vice chair of the Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association, has already broken barriers as the first Black lieutenant governor in the state and also the youngest lieutenant governor in American history. The McKeesport native, however, wouldn't become the youngest governor in Pennsylvania history.

That distinction belongs to Robert E. Pattison, who was elected governor in 1882 at the age of 31.

Bruce Siwy is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network's Pennsylvania state capital bureau. He can be reached at bsiwy@gannett.com or on X at @BruceSiwy.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: What happens if Shapiro joins Harris ticket, wins election? This man becomes Pa. governor.