Josh Shapiro Endorses Pick For Lieutenant Governor In 2022 PA Race

HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, a Democrat seeking to become the state's next governor, has thrown his support behind a western Pennsylvania state representative seeking the nod for lieutenant governor.

Shapiro, who resides in Abington Township, Montgomery County, announced Tuesday his endorsement of Rep. Austin Davis for lieutenant governor.

Davis is seeking to become the first Black lieutenant governor ever elected in Pennsylvania history.

Davis hails from McKeesport in western Pennsylvania's Mon Valley region, according to a news release from Shapiro's campaign.

If both Democrats get their respective nominations, the ticket would be a mix of geographic representation from both sides of the commonwealth.

The news release from Shapiro's team states that Davis comes from a working-class family who was a first-generation college graduate, and who is one of just four Black members of the state House to represent a majority-white district.

"Pennsylvanians — from Westmoreland to West Philadelphia — deserve leaders who understand the issues they're facing and can bring people together to get things done," Shapiro said in a statement. "Whether it was leading Montgomery County or now as Attorney General, I've always surrounded myself with people who bring different life experiences to my team — and I'm proud to endorse Austin Davis because I know he will make my administration stronger as our next Lieutenant Governor."

Davis, in his own statement, said that Pennsylvania needs leaders who "know how to work hard and fight for working people and communities like McKeesport, and that's exactly what Attorney General Shapiro has done throughout his career.

"Pennsylvanians, regardless of color, class, or creed, need someone in their corner and I'm looking forward to taking on the big fights and getting things done as Lieutenant Governor alongside our next Governor Josh Shapiro," Davis stated.

The release says that Davis would bring important geographic and racial diversity to a Shapiro-led Democratic ticket and that if Davis is elected, he would be the highest-ranking Black elected official in Pennsylvania history.