Everything you need to know about the potential new US Vice President, Josh Shapiro

Follow us on Google News

After President Joe Biden withdrew from the 2024 White House race on Sunday, Vice President Kamala Harris has been thrust into the spotlight as the leading candidate to succeed Biden as the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee and her party’s main hope for defeating Trump. Among those gaining attention is Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who has been considered a possible running mate for Harris.

The Democrats will hold their party convention in Chicago from August 19 to 22.

Who is Josh Shapiro?

Born and raised in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Governor Josh Shapiro received his Juris Doctor from Georgetown University and studied political science at the University of Rochester. Shapiro, a Democrat, served as the 153rd District Representative in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 2004 to 2012. He served as a member and chair of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners from 2011 to 2017.

Shapiro ran successfully for Pennsylvania Attorney General in 2016 and was re-elected in 2020. As attorney general, he released a grand jury report alleging child sexual abuse by priests, helped negotiate $1 billion for Pennsylvania in a national opioid settlement, and brokered an agreement between two of the state’s largest insurance companies to protect health care access for two million people. He has also defended reproductive rights and a woman’s right to choose in court.

In 2021, Shapiro announced his candidacy for governor of Pennsylvania in the 2022 election. He ran unopposed in the Democratic primary and defeated Republican candidate Doug Mastriano in the general election. Shapiro and his wife, Lori, have four children.