Josh Shapiro

Josh Shapiro
Shapiro in 2022
48th Governor of Pennsylvania
Assumed office
January 17, 2023
LieutenantAustin Davis
Preceded byTom Wolf
Attorney General of Pennsylvania
In office
January 17, 2017 – January 17, 2023
GovernorTom Wolf
Preceded byBruce Beemer
Succeeded byMichelle Henry
Chair of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners
In office
January 3, 2012 – November 17, 2016
Preceded byJim Matthews
Succeeded byVal Arkoosh
Member of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners
In office
January 3, 2012 – January 17, 2017
Preceded byJoe Hoeffel
Succeeded byKenneth Lawrence
Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
from the 153rd district
In office
January 4, 2005 – January 3, 2012
Preceded byEllen Bard
Succeeded byMadeleine Dean
Personal details
Born
Joshua David Shapiro

(1973-06-20) June 20, 1973
Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)
Lori Ferrara
(m. 1997)
Children4
ResidenceGovernor's Residence
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
EducationUniversity of Rochester (BA)
Georgetown University (JD)
Signature

Joshua David Shapiro (born June 20, 1973) is an American politician and attorney serving as the 48th governor of Pennsylvania since 2023. Before becoming governor, he was the 50th attorney general of Pennsylvania from 2017 to 2023 and a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 2004 to 2012. Shapiro is a member of the Democratic Party.

Shapiro was also a member of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners from 2012 to 2017.

Early life

Joshua David Shapiro[1] was born on June 20, 1973, in Kansas City, Missouri.[2] He spent a few years of his childhood on a United States Navy base.[3] He was raised in Upper Dublin Township, Pennsylvania.[4] His father Steven works as a pediatrician,[5] and his mother, Judi, was a teacher.[6]

Shapiro was raised in a Jewish household.[7]

Shapiro attended the University of Rochester, majoring in political science. In 1992, he was the first freshman ever elected student body president of the university. He then studied at Georgetown University.[8][9]

Governor of Pennsylvania

Shapiro was the Democratic nominee for governor in the 2022 election.[10][11][12][13] In January 2022, Shapiro's campaign reported it had $13.4 million in campaign funds, which was a record amount for a Pennsylvania statewide candidate in an election year.[14] He ran unopposed in the Democratic primary and defeated Republican nominee Doug Mastriano in the general election by a 14.8% margin. He is also the state's first Generation X governor.[15]

On February 19, 2025, President Donald Trump appointed Shapiro to the Council of Governors.[16]

On April 13, 2025, Shapiro and his family survived an arson attack at the governor's mansion, hours after holding a Passover Seder.[17]

National politics

On August 5, 2024, USA Today reported that Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Shapiro were the top candidates to be Vice President Kamala Harris's running mate in her 2024 presidential campaign.[18] The following day, Harris officially picked Walz over Shapiro as her running mate.[19]

Personal life

Shapiro met his wife, Lori, in ninth grade.[20] Shapiro married her in 1997.[21]

Shapiro and his wife have four children and live in the Governor's Residence in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.[22]

References

  1. "Joshua D. Shapiro". Pennsylvania House of Representatives Archives. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  2. Pereira, Ivan (23 July 2024). "Who is Gov. Josh Shapiro, a possible Harris VP pick?". ABC News. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  3. "Josh's Record". joshshapiro.org. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  4. Korbluh, Jacob (September 15, 2022). "PA governor race: Mastriano attacks Shapiro for going to Jewish day school". The Forward. Retrieved 2022-08-20.
  5. "Pediatric Medical Associates list of doctors".
  6. Swift, Jim (November 7, 2022). "Josh Shapiro Makes His Closing Argument". The Bulwark.
  7. JC Reporter (21 July 2024). "Who is Josh Shapiro? The potential first Jewish vice president". The Jewish Chronicle.
  8. Orso, Anna (2024-08-02). "Josh Shapiro once wrote that peace 'will never come' to the Middle East. He says his views have changed over 30 years". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 2024-08-02.
  9. Shapiro, Josh (September 23, 1993). "An Impossible Peace". University of Rochester Campus Times.
  10. Huber, Robert (2021-03-25). "Is This The Moment Josh Shapiro Has Been Waiting For?". Philadelphia Magazine. Retrieved 2021-07-23.
  11. Brennan, Chris; Terruso, Julia; McCrystal, Laura (2019-11-08). "Did Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf just endorse Josh Shapiro for governor in 2022? 'That's my guy.'". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 2021-07-23.
  12. Lai, Jonathan; Tamari, Jonathan (2021-07-15). "Pa. Gov. Tom Wolf says he won't endorse anyone for Senate — including his lieutenant John Fetterman". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 2021-07-23.
  13. Axelrod, Tal (17 May 2022). "Shapiro skates to Democratic governor's nod in Pennsylvania". The Hill. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
  14. Levy, Marc (February 2, 2022). "Democrat Shapiro Sets Campaign Cash Record in Race for Pa. Governor". NBC10 Philadelphia. Archived from the original on November 11, 2022. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
  15. Thompson, Charles (January 17, 2023). "Gov. Josh Shapiro takes office with a burst of energy, optimism". PennLive. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
  16. "Governor Josh Shapiro (PA) was appointed to the Council of Governors by President Donald J. Trump". visibletogether.com. February 19, 2025. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
  17. "Suspect arrested in arson fire that forced Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, family to flee residence". AP News. 2025-04-13. Retrieved 2025-04-24.
  18. Bose, Nandita. "Kamala Harris' running mate choice narrows to Tim Walz, Josh Shapiro, sources say". USA Today. Archived from the original on August 5, 2024. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  19. Epstein, Reid J. (2024-08-06). "Tim Walz Is Kamala Harris's Choice for Vice President: Live Election Updates". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-08-06.
  20. Murphy, Jan (October 12, 2022). "Lori Shapiro: A behind-the-scenes motivator in husband's gubernatorial campaign". PennLive. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  21. @JoshShapiroPA (May 25, 2022). "25 years ago, on a rainy day in Bucks County, I got to kiss the bride. It's been sunny ever since. We've been ble..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  22. "The Office". Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. Retrieved 2019-03-13.

Other websites

Media related to Josh Shapiro at Wikimedia Commons Quotations related to Josh Shapiro at Wikiquote