Meet Pennsylvania Democratic gubernatorial candidate: Josh Shapiro
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Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro. Photo: Hannah Beier/Bloomberg via Getty
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is the Democratic candidate running for reelection in the Nov. 3 election.
The candidate: He's looking to secure a second term in office. He was first elected as governor in 2022.
☝️ Programming note: The Shapiro campaign answered some but not all Axios' question. (Responses were edited for Smart Brevity and style.)
- Yes, but: We'll fill-in-the-blanks from his website and past statements when possible.
🎂 How old are you: 53 years old
📍Where do you live in Pennsylvania? Montgomery County
💼 Past jobs: Pennsylvania attorney general, a state rep and on the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners.
📺 Favorite Pennsylvania-based TV show (past or present)? Current: "Abbott Elementary."
- Past: "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood."
🏛️ Favorite historic landmark in Pennsylvania? Independence Hall
🤔 What's one thing voters don't know about you?
- Declined to answer.
Are you a Wawa or Sheetz person?
- Declined to answer.
🍽️ Favorite Pennsylvania restaurant? Whatever First Lady Lori Shapiro is cooking.
🤖 Do you support building more data centers in Pennsylvania?
- Declined to answer.
- Worth noting: Shapiro was an early booster of data centers before pivoting in the face of growing community resistance to the developments in Pennsylvania and across the U.S.
Explain why you support or oppose building more data centers in Pennsylvania. I enacted the strictest guardrails in the nation to hold data center developers accountable and protect Pennsylvania communities.
- Under my guidelines, the state will only consider a permit if the developers and tech companies agree to generate their own power and pay for it, protect Pennsylvania's air and water, and most importantly they must earn the support of the local community.
🧠 What's one big idea you want to bring to the governor's office?
- Declined to answer.
👉 Sum up the state of Pennsylvania in 6 words or less. Getting shit done.
🏀 Favorite Pennsylvania athlete (past or present) and why? Dr. J., Franco Harris, Mike Schmidt, and Roberto Clemente.
Do you support maintaining access to abortion in Pennsylvania? Yes (✅) or no (❌)
- ✅ Yes
Explain why you support or oppose maintaining access to abortion in Pennsylvania.
- Decisions about reproductive health care belong to women and their doctors, not politicians — and I've defended that freedom every step of the way.
- As long as I'm governor, abortion rights and reproductive freedom will remain protected here in Pennsylvania.
🌿 Do you support legalizing recreational cannabis in Pennsylvania?Yes (✅) or no (❌)
- ✅ Yes
What Pennsylvania law, tax or program would you scrap immediately, and why?
- Declined to answer.
🎰 Do you support banning or legalizing skill games in the state?
- I proposed legalizing and regulating these machines, and taxing them at a rate of 52%, which is the traditional tax rate we have on other gaming in Pennsylvania.
♨ Do you support the expansion of fracking in the state due to a growing demand for data centers?
- Declined to answer.
- Worth noting: Shapiro has long supported an "all of the above" energy strategy, which includes boosting natural gas, along with solar, wind and nuclear. His "The Lightning Plan" proposal seeks to fast track energy production in the state.
🗣️ Finally, why do you want to be governor? In my first term, we have gotten a lot done — from cutting taxes ten times, to creating nearly 29,000 jobs, to delivering historic investments in public education and making our communities safer — but there's more work to do.
- I'm running for reelection to keep moving our Commonwealth forward and continue cutting costs, creating more economic opportunity, and protecting Pennsylvanians' rights and freedoms.