After learning he wouldn’t be Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate Tuesday morning, the first-term Democratic governor released a statement to reporters.
Vice President Kamala Harris, of California, has selected Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate.
The announcement came Tuesday morning hours before a scheduled rally in Philadelphia where Shapiro is set to appear alongside Harris and Walz.
Below is Shapiro’s full statement:
“My life in public service has always been motivated by my family and my faith. Since I first ran for State Representative 20 years ago, I’ve been called to serve because I want to leave our community, our Commonwealth, and our country better off for our children – and because my faith teaches me that no one is required to complete the task, but neither are we free to refrain from it.
“Nearly two weeks ago, Vice President Harris asked me to work with her team to complete the vetting process to be considered as her running mate – and following those conversations, on Sunday, I was grateful to have the opportunity to speak with the Vice President directly about her vision for the role and the campaign ahead.
“As I’ve said repeatedly over the past several weeks, the running mate decision was a deeply personal decision for the Vice President – and it was also a deeply personal decision for me. Pennsylvanians elected me to a four-year term as their Governor, and my work here is far from finished – there is a lot more stuff I want to get done for the good people of this Commonwealth.
“Serving as the 48th Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is the highest honor of my life – showing up in your communities, listening to and learning from you, and then working across the aisle to get stuff done and deliver results for you. In just 19 months, we’ve made a meaningful, positive impact in peoples’ lives, and I’m proud of how Americans all across the country have taken notice of what we’re accomplishing here in Pennsylvania. I’m excited to continue working to protect and advance real freedom, deliver good schools, safe communities, and economic opportunity.”
“Vice President Kamala Harris has my enthusiastic support – and I know that Governor Tim Walz is an exceptionally strong addition to the ticket who will help Kamala move our country forward. Lori and I consider Tim and Gwen to be good friends of ours and we are excited for them and for the country to get to know the great people we know them to be. Over the next 92 days, I look forward to traveling all across the Commonwealth to unite Pennsylvanians behind Kamala Harris’ campaign to defeat Donald Trump, become the 47th President of the United States, and build a better future for our country.”
Shapiro, a rising star within the Democratic party, served as Pennsylvania’s attorney general from 2017 to 2023 before his gubernatorial tenure. His political career also includes roles as chair of the Montgomery County Commissioners and as a state representative.
Speculations about a future presidential run have been circulating around Shapiro.
Raised in Montgomery County, Shapiro’s early career on Capitol Hill saw him working with notable figures such as U.S. Senator Carl Levin and Congressmen Peter Deutsch and Joe Hoeffel. His dedication to public service is a familial legacy, influenced by his parents — his father, a pediatrician and former U.S. Navy serviceman, and his mother, a retired educator.
Shapiro is married to his high-school sweetheart, Lori, who is originally from Lower Makefield Township. They are parents to four children: Sophia, 22; Jonah, 19; Max, 15; and Reuben, 13.
