Pennsylvania Capitol Building in Harrisburg, Pa. (Photo by Amanda Berg for the Capital-Star).
Gov. Josh Shapiro announced Monday he was endorsing 20 Democratic state House candidates in the upcoming election.
Democrats currently hold a single-vote majority in the state House after flipping the chamber in 2022. Shapiro wants to hold or expand it.
“ Maintaining a Democratic majority in the Pennsylvania State House is critically important to accomplishing my priorities as Pennsylvania’s Governor — good schools, safe communities, economic opportunity, and protecting real freedom,” Shapiro said in a press release. “That’s why I’m all in to defend our majority and elect more Democrats to the State House this November.”
A Pennsylvania House Democratic Campaign Committee press release said the 20 candidates are running in some of the most competitive races in the state.
Shapiro’s endorsement may carry some weight. He soundly won his 2022 gubernatorial race against a Republican backed by former President Donald Trump, state Sen. Doug Mastriano (R-Franklin). His national recognition has also grown since he was considered as a running mate by Vice President Kamala Harris last month.
Though Harris ultimately chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to share her presidential ticket, subsequent polling found Shapiro’s favorability remained high in Pennsylvania — a more favorable than either Harris or Trump.
“The Governor will be on the road campaigning for these candidates and others — as he already has been — and will be doing events and supporting them financially as well,” said Manuel Bonder, a spokesperson for Shapiro.
The races where Shapiro endorsed candidates span the state geographically. Seven of the candidates Shapiro endorsed are incumbents who face potentially strong challengers.
Rep. Brian Munroe (D-Bucks) flipped the 144th House district in 2022 by a little over 500 votes after years of Republican representation.
Munroe said he learned about Shapiro’s endorsement in a text message Monday from another representative after it was announced. But he wasn’t surprised Shapiro wanted to offer the help.
“I think this district will always be competitive,” Munroe said. “It’s probably the key ‘protect’ seat in the state.”
Munroe also believes Shapiro’s endorsement will mean something to his voters, and that members of his district across the aisle support him.
“Republicans, Democrats and Independents did not want him to be the Vice Presidential candidate, and the reason why is because they did not want to lose him as governor,” Munroe said. “These people support Governor Josh Shapiro.”
Four Democrats endorsed by Shapiro are running in races without an incumbent on the ballot, including in two districts currently represented by Democrats.
One of those candidates, Sean Dougherty, is running for a seat held by Philadelphia Democratic Rep. Kevin Boyle.
Dougherty soundly defeated Boyle in the April primary after Boyle failed to show up to numerous session days in Harrisburg and his family announced he was suffering a mental health crisis.
Boyle’s status as a representative briefly became a wedge issue for Republicans who sought to nullify his vote earlier this year during budget negotiations, which would have meant a partisan tie in the chamber. The unsuccessful attempt happened after an arrest warrant was issued for Boyle for allegedly violating a protective order. That warrant, however, was later withdrawn and Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said the protective order wasn’t in effect at the time in question.
Boyle won the district in 2022 with 57% of the vote.
Nine of the endorsed candidates are challenging Republican incumbents that Democrats believe are vulnerable in November. Most of those incumbents are rank and file members of the Republican party, though they include Republican Caucus Administrator, Rep. Sheryl M. Delozier (R-Cumberland) and the Republican chair of the House finance committee, Rep. Joe Emrick (R-Northampton).
Elizabeth Moro is running as a Democrat in the 160th District. She faces incumbent Rep. Craig Williams, the last Republican representing part of Delaware County in the state House.
Williams won the district by nearly five points in 2022, though President Joe Biden carried the county by double digits in 2020 and Shapiro received more than twice as many votes as his Republican opponent there in the 2022 gubernatorial election.
The district also includes parts of Chester County, where voters also preferred Biden and Shapiro in 2020 and 2022, respectively.
Like Munroe, Moro said that the endorsement was unexpected when it was announced, though Shapiro had previously told her that he wanted to help with the race.
“It was a wonderful Monday morning surprise,” Moro said.
Asked why she thought Shapiro endorsed her, Moro said, “I’ve been working very hard to raise money and reach out to voters. And I think it’s just a combination of we’re working very hard to flip this district and it’s also one that’s possible.”
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