Gov. Josh Shapiro will remain firmly seated in Pennsylvania, as Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her vice presidential running mate.
Both Shapiro and Walz will be in Philadelphia Tuesday night for a campaign rally at Temple University.
In a statement, Shapiro said Walz is “an exceptionally strong addition to the ticket who will help Kamala move our country forward.” Shapiro’s work in Pennsylvania is unfinished, he added, as he’s been governor for only 19 months.
“There is a lot more stuff I want to get done for the good people of this Commonwealth,” he said.
Harris’ pick was immediately attacked by former President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, who said Walz would “unleash hell on earth,” and open U.S. borders to criminals.
Allegheny County Republican Party chair Sam DeMarco also attacked Walz, suggesting he was responsible for damage to property in Minnesota after George Floyd’s death led to widespread protests in May 2020.
“As Democrats like Josh Shapiro rally around the Harris-Walz ticket and work to get them elected, they assume ownership as well of the extreme positions those two take,” DeMarco wrote on X.
While Democratic leaders and Harris supporters lined up to praise Walz, some experts say that Shapiro may have proved too risky a choice for Harris. During the past week, Shapiro has been criticized by a variety of liberal constituencies, including unions and pro-Palestinian protesters.
Democratic state Rep. Dan Frankel of Squirrel Hill said he learned of Harris’ pick as his overnight flight from California landed in Philadelphia, where he plans to attend Harris’ campaign event later in the day.
“On a personal basis, it was disappointing,” Frankel said, noting that he’s known Shapiro for 20 years and wanted to support his friend at the rally. But he said he’s “confident [Walz] will be an effective leader and voice supporting the Jewish community, particularly at this very difficult time.”
The 'do no harm' pick
Political science professor Jeffrey Green at the University of Pennsylvania said Harris' selection of Walz reflects the general consensus of political scientists.
"One of the oldest adages in selecting a VP is to do no harm," he said. "While there's scant evidence that you can win your election simply by making the right pick, there's more evidence that you can derail your campaign by making the wrong pick."
Selecting a vice president to improve a candidate's standing among a particular region or demographic has little impact, Green said.
"There's been slightly more evidence that the selection of the VP matters in an indirect way, that what the pick suggests about the presidential nominee who selects them,'" he said. Trump's selection of Mike Pence in 2016 didn't attract many Pence voters, but it signaled to evangelicals how Trump felt about them, " Green added.
In an election as close as the 2024 election is expected to be, however, Green said it was likely tempting for Harris to select someone like Shapiro who might have helped her in the crucial swing state of Pennsylvania. Minnesota is not expected to be as close.
Still, Walz appeared to be the less risky choice on some specific issues, Green said. He is a former teacher, while teachers unions have attacked Shapiro for supporting private school vouchers. Shapiro’s position raised questions among unions of all stripes, and the United Steelworkers Union was quick to praise the choice of Walz.
“From his many years of service in Congress to his time as governor of Minnesota, Gov. Walz has fought for working families every step of the way,” the USW said in a statement. “A former union educator, he’s enacted some of the most significant pro-worker reforms in our nation’s history.”
Walz has more experience as a governor than does Shapiro, Green said, and he has shown he could win races against more electable Republicans than those Shapiro has faced. Shapiro has been a governor for less than two years and won his race against state Sen. Doug Mastriano, a more extreme Republican. According to some reports, Harris liked that Walz had a more extensive record of accomplishments, while Shapiro’s accomplishments in a divided legislature have been more modest.
Walz also may have represented a more palatable form of political moderation than did Shapiro, Green said. Walz had one of the more centrist voting records during his time in Congress, according to GovTrack.
Shapiro, by contrast, was praised by some moderates for squelching pro-Palestinian protests. Thus, Shapiro may have represented an appeal to moderate voters that ultimately Harris didn't want to emphasize, Green said.
"A lot of the way his moderation and centrism reads in mid-2024 is connected to Israel [and] Palestine," Green said. "So that might be moderation or non-progressiveness about an issue that Harris doesn't want to emphasize. It's not maybe the most salient issue for her success."
And Walz may have had additional appeal to moderates as a military veteran. Former Western Pennsylvania Congressman Conor Lamb wrote on X that Walz believes some Republicans have trouble debating Democrats with a history of military service.
In her announcement, Harris emphasized some of these characteristics of Walz: “As a governor, a coach, a teacher, and a veteran, he's delivered for working families like his own.”
Under the radar
Walz may have also benefited from the fact that, until just a couple of weeks ago, he was largely unknown on the national stage. By contrast, Green said, Donald Trump's pick of J.D. Vance may have left him exposed because Vance has such a long history of appearing on TV and making public statements.
"Walz, compared to [Sen. Mark] Kelly — and for different reasons to Shapiro — has been a little bit outside of the public eye, has been a little bit quieter," Green said. "And that can feed into a certain advantage for Harris if you're trying to be risk-averse."
Although Shapiro is popular with the electorate, he has rubbed some people the wrong way during his rise to power. Erin McClelland, the Democratic nominee for state treasurer, was one of the few Pennsylvania Democrats to openly criticize Shapiro as Harris considered who to select.
Shapiro’s office quietly settled sexual harassment claims against one of his former top aides last year, something McClelland called “a bipartisan and systemic issue” and “an anvil that both parties are going to have to bear.” She’s advocated to end sexual harassment and racial discrimination in the workforce.
In contrast, McClelland said she’s pleased with Walz, calling him “the ultimate everyman. He's just a regular guy, and I love it.”
Although Walz has largely avoided the kind of criticism that beset Shapiro and Vance so far, he will face additional scrutiny in the coming days, Green said.
Many Pennsylvania Democrats say that Walz will bring many of the same qualities they supported in Shapiro. Frankel said he sees “very little difference” between Shapiro and Walz.
Although Shapiro won’t be taking Pennsylvania issues to the national stage, state Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa of Allegheny County said he is optimistic that the governor’s leadership would continue to push the commonwealth in the right direction.
“The Senate Democratic Caucus has enjoyed, and will continue to enjoy, an incredible ally in Governor Shapiro as we fight for every Pennsylvanian,” he said in a statement. “We are grateful for the welcome national attention on Gov. Shapiro and his record of Getting Stuff Done in PA.”
