Dem
47
GOP
53
It is no secret that Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA) is a very ambitious politician who is going to run for president in 2028. The field will be enormous, so each candidate will need something to set himself or herself apart from the crowd. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) will talk about how his mocking Donald Trump really gets under Trump's skin. Gov. Andy Beshear (D-KY) will talk about how southern Democratic governors have a good track record. Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) will talk about how he can win a key swing state and motivate Latinos nationwide. And so on.
So what is Shapiro's angle? He is thinking small... no, make that low. He is focusing on downballot races. Specifically, he is starting a program with $3 million in seed money to flip four U.S. House seats and also to give the Democrats the trifecta in Pennsylvania for the first time in 30 years. If he pulls it off, he can make a pitch in 2028 that he would have great coattails and pull in many Democrats running for federal and state office, helping the Party control Congress and state legislatures. It is an unusual strategy, but maybe he could pull it off.
Oh, and Shapiro also has to spend some time on his own reelection campaign. He is currently leading his opponent, state Treasurer Stacy Garrity, by 13 points. But not to worry, the governor is a fundraising powerhouse, having pulled in $50 million so far this cycle, and has 30x as much cash on hand as Garrity.
Shapiro's plan is to open 27 field offices around the Keystone State, staffed by 100 paid, full-time organizers. It will include targeted outreach to low-propensity Black, Latino, and Asian-American voters. For some races, he recruited candidates and helped clear the field for them.
Here are the four Republican U.S. House incumbents Shapiro is targeting, the PVIs of their districts, and the arguments he is going to use against them:
Shapiro calls his efforts "Rise Up Pennsylvania" and claims this big a concerted effort in the midterms is unprecedented in Pennsylvania. (V)