Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. Austin Davis addresses the Democratic National Convention Aug. 19, 2024 (Photo by Ariana Figueroa/States Newsroom)
CHICAGO — Pennsylvania Lt. Gov Austin Davis took the stage at the Democratic National Convention on its opening night, one of a group of Democratic state leaders who spoke about how Vice President Kamala Harris and the Biden administration had helped them get things done at the local level.
“I’m the proud son of a Pittsburgh bus driver,” Davis said Monday. “Every day, my Dad would come home and tell me about how our roads and bridges were in disrepair. President (Donald) Trump promised us Infrastructure Week over and over again. He didn’t really care, though, and it never happened.”
President Joe Biden and Harris, though, “brought together Democrats and Republicans to get it done,” Davis said. He pointed to the reopening of I-95 in Philadelphia after an accident damaged the highway in 2023, and the repair of the Fern Hollow Bridge in Pittsburgh, which collapsed in 2022.
“Right now, we’re repairing roads and bridges across Pennsylvania, including in Pittsburgh, the City of Bridges,” Davis said. “And Vice President Harris is looking forward. She’s committed to keeping our infrastructure safe and modern.”
He appeared on stage with Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Sarah Rodriguez, Harris County, Texas Executive Lena Hidalgo, and California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, all of whom shared stories about how Harris had made an impact on their communities.
“Over the years, I’ve learned that Kamala Harris always calls, and not only does she call, she delivers,” Hidalgo said. “The very week she launched her campaign, she was down in Texas with FEMA assistance right after Hurricane Beryl. Kamala Harris cares. She will never risk lives for the sake of politics.”
Davis, 34, of McKeesport, is the youngest and first-ever Black lieutenant governor in Pennsylvania history. He worked as a senior adviser in Allegheny County government for former County Executive Rich Fitzgerald before being elected to the 35th District House seat in a 2018 special election. He was reelected twice, and when he ran for lieutenant governor, Josh Shapiro, the only Democrat running for governor in 2022, endorsed Davis in the primary.
Davis got into politics after a friend was shot in his McKeesport neighborhood, and preventing gun violence has continued to be a key part of his work in state government. He’s also the father of a daughter, Harper, who turns 1 next month.
“When I think about the future, I think about my daughter Harper and all of America’s children. Investing in them means investing in our infrastructure,” Davis said. “It means replacing millions of lead pipes. It means providing clean air, clean water and safe roads and bridges not just for us, but for generations to come.”
“That’s the legacy President Biden is leaving for our children. Let’s keep building bridges to the future with Kamala Harris and Tim Walz,” he added.
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