Amid divisions within the Democratic Party over Israel’s war with Hamas, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro (D) has come under particular scrutiny for his stance on the Israel-Hamas war, and Vice President Harris is considering adding Shapiro to her list of candidates.
Shapiro emerged as the leading vice presidential candidate because of his administrative experience in a key battleground state with 19 electoral votes, and his supporters also point to his track record of appealing to voters outside of Democratic lines.
But some progressives say that despite Harris’ recent success in uniting Democrats, the governor’s response to pro-Palestinian protests against the war could end up alienating the party’s left wing.
Meanwhile, Shapiro’s supporters and defenders point out that the governor’s stance on the war is similar to most of the other leading candidates under consideration, and that the only thing that sets him apart is his emphasis on his Jewish identity.
“We have a real chance to win the election. The idea that the party is trying to divide us because Josh is the only Jew who can be vice president is a continuation of the unfortunate divisions we’ve seen within our party since October 7th,” said Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.), who is also Jewish and has not nominated a vice presidential candidate.
Shapiro has long been seen as a rising star in the party, building a reputation as a moderate with great appeal to swing voters while advocating for liberal policy staples such as protecting abortion rights and raising the minimum wage.
Strategists backing Shapiro said the governor’s widespread popularity, including much stronger-than-expected approval ratings, would be an advantage for the slate of candidates.
Harris knows she risks being seen as too progressive as Republicans try to paint her as more to the left of Biden, and Shapiro’s reputation as a moderate could give her an advantage compared to other vice presidential candidates.
“I think progressives see Shapiro as too conservative, [Minnesota Gov. Tim] “Waltz may be a little too progressive for independents,” said a former Senate adviser to Harris.
Meanwhile, former President Trump has also weighed in on the debate, telling Fox News that if Harris picks Shapiro, “she will lose the Palestinian vote.”
But former Pennsylvania Democratic Party chairman T.J. Rooney said progressive backlash against Shapiro’s policies wasn’t necessarily a bad thing for a running mate.
“Sometimes the fights people take on are fights that can’t be won in the court of public opinion,” Looney said. “In terms of Josh’s position as a moderate politician who can add value in a place like southwestern Pennsylvania, getting yelled at by people on the far left doesn’t hurt him. It actually strengthens his credibility in key circles, both inside and outside the Democratic Party.”
However, progressive and pro-Palestinian elements of the party oppose Shapiro as vice presidential candidate, citing several issues, particularly his stance on Israel.
Following the Oct. 7 Israeli attack and subsequent pro-Palestinian protests in the United States, Shapiro has become one of the most prominent politicians to speak out against rising anti-Semitism.
Shapiro spoke out after a December House hearing in which three university presidents, including the University of Pennsylvania, were questioned about anti-Semitic policies and what constitutes harassment on their campuses. He blasted the University of Pennsylvania’s president for failing to address whether calling for genocide against Jewish students violates university policy.
In April, he said anti-Semitism and vandalism “will not be tolerated” in Pennsylvania after a swastika was spray-painted on a synagogue.
His criticism of the University of Pennsylvania’s president has led to increased pressure for the president to resign following pro-Palestinian protests on campus. Recently Updated State employees have a code of conduct that requires them to avoid “scandalous” behavior, which some have interpreted as barring employees from participating in those types of protests, but a spokesman for the governor said employees can still take part in First Amendment activities.
“It seems like he’s done something special compared to other governors. [Illinois Gov. JB] “You have Pritzker and Waltz in this conversation,” one progressive strategist said, referring to Shapiro’s running mate, Pritzker, who is also Jewish, and Waltz.
“For the Palestinian movement and progressives in general, why is this Democratic governor [joining] “Why is someone like Elise Stefanik criticizing the president of the University of Pennsylvania? Why is the Democratic governor repeatedly making Republican-leaning rhetoric on this issue?” the strategist added.
On Friday, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that when Shapiro was a 20-year-old student at the University of Rochester, he wrote an opinion piece for the school’s newspaper in which he believed there would “never be peace” in the Middle East. Manuel Bondar, a spokesman for Shapiro, noted that the governor’s views on the issue have since “evolved into the positions he holds today.”
But others argue that Shapiro’s views on the conflict and his policies are broadly in line with most of the other candidates.
Shapiro has called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “one of the worst leaders in history” and has harshly criticized him for being an obstacle to a two-state solution. He told The Washington Post He said the country “cannot ignore the death and destruction in Gaza.”
On the other hand, Waltz, who is supported by some progressives, showed an open attitude He disagreed with the protesters’ message and pursued instances where they made Jewish students on campus feel unsafe.
Fellow candidate, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear (Democrat), has generally voiced support for Israel, but Avoided weighing Regarding the conflicting debate over the vice presidential candidate.
Another candidate, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly (D), attended and received applause during Netanyahu’s speech to Congress late last month, even though many Democrats stayed away in protest at his policies.
In a statement to The Hill, Bondar noted that Shapiro “had close personal relationships with leaders in the Muslim-American, Arab-American, Palestinian Christian and Jewish communities.”
Given the relatively small differences in the vice presidential candidates’ positions, some have argued that Shapiro’s criticism is due to his Jewish identity.
“Josh’s stance on Israel is pretty much the same as everyone else’s, but he’s being measured by a different standard, so you have to ask yourself why,” Moskowitz said. “I couldn’t imagine any other Democrat in the party questioning a vice presidential nominee just because he’s black, gay or Latino. That’s just unthinkable.”
Democratic strategist John Reinisch said he believes the attention given to the criticism of Shapiro is more widespread than the sentiment itself, noting that an online petition against him has so far garnered only 850 signatures, a small number compared with the 3 million votes he received in 2022.
“Social media and the current social media environment amplifies minority voices, but I think the reality shows that it’s getting more attention than actual support,” he said.
Reinisch said that if Shapiro is elected, “misunderstandings” about his positions will continue, but that the issues could be resolved by the two men discussing their positions directly.
And some progressives say it’s unlikely that progressives will turn out to vote for Shapiro if he’s chosen, given that he faces off against Trump and his running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio).
“Can we really say that Harris’ campaign will fail? The honest answer is no,” one progressive strategist said, noting that Harris’ campaign has already garnered a lot of enthusiasm.
Sam Crystal, chief of staff at the Jewish Democratic Council of America, said polls show most Americans are in tune with Shapiro’s positions and that they aren’t as weak as critics have portrayed them to be.
“He’s a fantastic communicator and I think if people sat down and listened to where he stands on these issues and how he provides morally clear leadership, I think they would know he would be the right choice if elected,” Crystal said.
Before the Oct. 7 election, Shapiro had emphasized his Jewish identity as governor, including featuring footage of him having Shabbat dinner with his family during the 2022 campaign. But Shapiro’s supporters stress that his appeal goes beyond his faith and ethnicity, pointing to his record as governor around the country.
And for voters, Harris’ stances on a range of issues will ultimately be the deciding factor.
“It’s about what Kamala Harris thinks, not what Josh Shapiro thinks if he’s chosen as her running mate,” Rooney said. “The magnitude of the retraction is nothing compared to what J.D. Vance did.”
Mychael Schnell and Alex Gangitano contributed.
