Josh Shapiro was sworn in Tuesday as the 48th governor of Pennsylvania, opening a new era of state politics that gives the Democrat a chance to put his imprint on the battleground state, as well as on a party in need of a new generation of leaders.
Taking over the reins from two-term Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf, Mr. Shapiro said he plans to advance “the cause of real freedom” where Pennsylvanians know “the doors of opportunity will swing open if they simply push them through” and “everyone gets a shot and no one is left behind.”
Mr. Shapiro said his landslide victory was a rejection of political “extremism” and underscored the confidence voters have in democracy and the electoral system.
“Only by setting the table of opportunity and inviting all to come and sit to partake can we advance the cause of real freedom,” Mr. Shapiro said in his inaugural address, shortly after taking the oath of office on a stack of three Hebrew Bibles on the steps of the state Capitol in Harrisburg. One of the Hebrew Bibles was used at the Tree of Life synagogue, which was the site of a 2018 mass shooting.
Mr. Shapiro said “real freedom” derives from bolstering public schools, strengthening public safety, and creating “new pathways to opportunity.” It celebrates racial and religious tolerance, “makes government a productive force for good,” and ensures political differences spark “debate, but do not give rise to demagogues,” he said.
“That is real freedom and that is our challenge,” Mr. Shapiro said. “That is our calling and that is the next chapter in our Pennsylvania story that we start writing today all together.”
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Democrat Austin Davis also was sworn in as Pennsylvania’s first Black lieutenant governor.
Mr. Shapiro cruised to a 14-point victory in the November election over state Sen. Doug Mastriano, a Trump-inspired Republican who embraced the former president’s stolen election claims and signaled his desire to ban abortions.
The state has been at the center of the debate over the 2020 presidential election and the overall integrity of elections, since former President Donald Trump claimed Pennsylvania and other states were “stolen” from him.
A former state attorney general, Mr. Shapiro is the first governor of Pennsylvania since 1966 to be elected to succeed a member of his own party.
Democrats also flipped a Senate seat after John Fetterman defeated Republican Mehmet Oz in the race to replace outgoing Republican Sen. Patrick Toomey.
Mr. Shapiro said the people of Pennsylvania “gave me direction with your voice and with your vote — a record number of voters, I might add.”
“You also sent a clear message — Democrats, Republicans, and independents — when you came together to resoundingly reject extremism here in Pennsylvania,” he said. “Together hope defeated fear, unity triumphed over division.”
Pennsylvania’s status as a perennial swing state makes it certain that Mr. Shapiro will operate under a bright spotlight and on the front lines of national debates, including abortion access.
He is among a group of governors — including Gavin Newsom of California, J.B. Pritzker of Illinois, and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan — who are thought to be potential presidential candidates.
Mr. Shapiro, in his address, said he has listened to the voters, including the grandmother who told him on the campaign trail to “not let us go back to what it was like before Roe.”
“Thanks to so many of you here today we won’t — we won’t!” he said, reiterating his vow to defend Pennsylvania’s abortion laws, which allow the procedure within 23 weeks of pregnancy and after 24 weeks if the pregnant person’s life or health is at risk.
Mr. Shapiro was joined on stage by his wife and four children.
He also invited survivors of child abuse, parents of children killed by gun violence, and widows of state troopers killed in the line of duty.
The 49-year-old enters office with high hopes. He has developed a reputation as a careful, pragmatic, center-left Democrat with the ability to inspire and connect with people through his aspirational rhetoric.
That skill set will be put to the test as Mr. Shapiro seeks to navigate a GOP-controlled state Senate and a divided House.
“The problem Josh is going to face is he has no one to bargain with because the current Republicans in Harrisburg are like the Republicans in Washington — they just want the government to disappear,” said former Gov. Ed Rendell, a Democrat who served from 2003 to 2011.
“It was easier for me to have success when I was governor because the Republican leadership was still mildly traditional Republicans because they had some faith in government and believed government could do things,” he said.
Mr. Rendell, nonetheless, said Mr. Shapiro has done a good job of “laying out a commonsense agenda that was middle of the road, left of center, and very achievable.”
“I’m predicting he will become the second-best governor in Pennsylvania history,” Mr. Rendell joked.
Despite his relatively young age, Mr. Shapiro has been a staple in Pennsylvania politics for close to two decades.
From 2005 to 2012, he served in the state legislature. He moved on to serve as chairman of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners and then as state attorney general.
• This story is based in part on wire reports.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
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