Jan 17, 2023 - Politics

Josh Shapiro to be sworn in as Pennsylvania governor

Pennsylvania Gov.-elect Josh Shapiro speaks at the Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg last week. Photo: Matt Rourke/AP Photo

Pennsylvania will get a new governor today.

What's happening: Democrat Josh Shapiro will be sworn as the state's 48th governor at the state Capitol in Harrisburg.

  • Shapiro will serve a four-year term alongside lieutenant governor Austin Davis, the latter of whom will become the first African American to serve in the post.

Why it matters: Shapiro takes over from fellow Democrat Tom Wolf, which marks the first consecutive Democratic governors since the 1960s.

  • After years of partisanship in Harrisburg, Shapiro has said he will form a bipartisan coalition to govern.

The big picture: Pennsylvania will continue to have divided government over the next two years.

Zoom in: The makeup of Shapiro's future top cabinet has been taking shape in recent weeks.

  • He has pledged to nominate Republican Al Schmidt, a former elections official in Philly, as secretary of state, and Philadelphia native Khalid Mumin as education secretary, among others.

1 cool thing: Today's ceremony will have a Philly connection.

  • Shapiro, who is Jewish, will take the oath of office by placing his hand on three Bibles, one of which Philly's Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History will supply.
  • That Bible, printed for World War II Jewish servicemembers, was carried by a soldier who had links to Shapiro's current synagogue, Beth Sholom in Elkins Park.
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