Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro kicks off 2026 re-election with 2028 ambitions

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro launched his 2026 reelection campaign Thursday, a move seen as a potential springboard for a Democratic presidential run in 2028.

In a re-election campaign launch video shared with Fox News Digital, Shapiro highlighted his pragmatic approach as governor to getting things done for Pennsylvanians.

“We have done things across our Commonwealth to make a real difference in people’s lives. Now Pennsylvania is open for business,” the governor said, repeating his unofficial slogan.

And Shapiro, who was high on Kamala Harris’ shortlist for vice presidential candidate in the summer of 2024 after replacing then-President Biden as the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee, highlighted the rebuilding of an interstate overpass that collapsed in 2023, closing one of the nation’s busiest highways.

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Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania launched a 2026 reelection campaign Thursday. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

“When disaster struck, others underestimated us. But I never did. Reopened and ready for travelers, just 12 days after a devastating collapse,” Shaprio said in the video. “We cut red tape to rebuild I-95 in record time. We did it using materials from a Pennsylvania company and with the strength and know-how of Pennsylvania union workers.”

In the video, which highlights the governor’s accomplishments, Shapiro also touts his bipartisan efforts, noting that “even with a divided state legislature – together – we have accomplished a lot on issues that have been stuck for decades.” But there is always more to do – more people to help, more Pennsylvanians to protect, more bridges to build.

After launching his video, the governor is scheduled to hold campaign launch events Thursday in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.

Shapiro’s launch comes two days after his campaign showed off its war chest, announcing that the governor raised $10 million in funding in the final quarter of last year and began the new year with more than $30 million in his coffers.

The governor, a former two-term attorney general of Pennsylvania who defeated conservative Sen. Doug Mastriano by 15 points four years ago in the key state’s gubernatorial election, is expected to face state Treasurer Stacy Garrity as his Republican challenger in November.

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Garrity, hoping to avoid a costly and divisive primary, has already secured the endorsement and support of many Pennsylvania Republicans, including support from the state Republican Party. And Mastriano, who was mulling a second straight run, announced Wednesday that he would not run for governor this year.

Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity is the leading Republican gubernatorial candidate in the 2026 race to challenge incumbent Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

“The truth is that Josh Shapiro ignored the issues facing working people in Pennsylvania and went around the country raising money from liberal billionaires,” Matt Beynon, a top Garrity campaign adviser, told Fox News Digital. “Less than half of 8th graders are reading at grade level, more than 3,000 of our bridges are deficient, and Pennsylvania families have one of the highest tax burdens in the country.”

But Shapiro enters the new year with tremendous approval and favorable ratings in public opinion polls, and his campaign, highlighting his fundraising, said the governor is “in a position of unprecedented strength.”

A campaign statement noted that the governor “reports the most money raised and the highest final cash balance in the year preceding the election of a Pennsylvania governor on record.”

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Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro is campaigning on behalf of then-Vice President Kamala Harris, the party’s 2024 presidential nominee. (Bloomberg/Getty)

A significant victory for Shapiro in November in this high-profile general election swing state could give the governor momentum ahead of what will likely be a close and competitive race for the next Democratic presidential nomination. And that field could include candidates with much higher name recognition, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Vice President Kamala Harris.

“Everyone who has expressed any interest in running for president will absolutely be closely watched in this year’s election, and it’s only natural that they will be judged first on their abilities in their home state,” longtime Democratic strategist Joe Caiazzo, a veteran of several presidential campaigns, told Fox News Digital.

Governor Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania at the Democratic National Convention speaks with New Hampshire party activists during a delegation breakfast August 21, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Paul Steinhauser/Fox News)

Behind the scenes, Shapiro spent part of 2025 increasing his grip on the state party. And he recruited and paved the way for a handful of Pennsylvania congressional candidates to run in what will likely be crucial midterm elections in the battle for the House majority.

The governor also campaigned for his fellow Democrats in last year’s elections in Pennsylvania, helping his party achieve convincing victories in off-year elections. And Shapiro also traveled to neighboring New Jersey to campaign on behalf of now-governor-elect Mikie Sherrill in the high-profile gubernatorial showdown.

His efforts have further raised his national profile and sparked further speculation about 2028.

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But John Brabender, a longtime Republican consultant who advises Garrity, issued a warning to Shapiro.

“The political graveyard is full of candidates who miscalculated and tried to run for multiple offices at the same time,” said Brabender, who served as a media consultant for President Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign, pointing to Shapiro’s likely national ambitions.