Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro visited Penn’s campus on Sunday for a meet-and-greet ahead of the November midterm elections.
Hosted by the Penn Democrats, the Oct. 11 event drew roughly 100 attendees and featured a discussion from Shapiro about Pennsylvania’s role in the midterms, along with his policy priorities. Shapiro is running for reelection against Republican nominee and Pennsylvania State Treasurer Stacy Garrity.
In his remarks, Shapiro spoke about the importance of achieving a Democratic trifecta — a Democratic governor, as well as majorities in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and State Senate — in the upcoming elections. That combination has not occurred in the state since 1992, he said.
Shapiro also spoke about the responsibility party leaders have to “show up” and mobilize young voters before Election Day on Nov. 3.
“You’ve got an ability to change the makeup of the Congress of the United States right here in Pennsylvania, but we can’t take young people’s votes for granted,” Shapiro said in a post-event interview with The Daily Pennsylvanian. “We’ve gotta show up, look you in the eye, ask you for it, and help you realize your power, and that’s what I hope people took away from the conversation today.”
Shapiro said that during recent visits to college campuses, he has noticed an “infectious” sense of optimism among young voters.
“There’s a belief in your skillset, a belief in your big brains and what you’re learning, that you’re going to be able to go out and use that for good in the world,” he told the DP.
If reelected, Shapiro said he would begin the next legislative session by signing a bill to raise the Commonwealth’s minimum wage to $15 per hour and fully fund SEPTA and mass transit entities across the state.
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He also highlighted the need to increase affordable housing and codify rights for women to receive safe and legal abortions in Pennsylvania.
“This is the kind of stuff we can do if we work together,” Shapiro said.
During the event, Shapiro emphasized how Penn students can encourage civic engagement among other young people in Pennsylvania.
“There will be a time in your life when someone asks you, ‘When you were at the University of Pennsylvania, in the swingiest state in the entire country, what did you do?’” Shapiro asked the audience. “Did you get involved?”
Shapiro announced his bid for reelection in January, during a Philadelphia rally.
During his first term, Shapiro criticized Penn’s response to allegations of campus antisemitism on multiple occasions. In December 2023, the governor expressed concerns over then-Penn President Liz Magill’s congressional testimony about the University’s governance at the time.
Shapiro helped shape Penn’s response to the controversy, including invoking a long-dormant state statute to appoint an observer to the University Board of Trustees. This January, he released a book in which he wrote that he “flatly” would not apologize for statements he made about pro-Palestinian protesters at Penn.
