Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, said his Jewish faith will not stand in the way of his political future and pushed back against suggestions it could be a liability amid rising antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment.
In an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday, Shapiro declined to address speculation about a possible 2028 presidential run, saying instead that he remains focused on governing Pennsylvania.
“What I have found in my years of service in government is that the public wants you to be who you are,” the governor said. “Let them know what motivates you to serve and why you do this work.”
“I think that that is uniquely American, this idea that we all have a responsibility to get off the sidelines, get in the game, and do our part,” he told CNN. “That’s what my faith teaches me. That’s how my family raised me. That is who I am, and I’m not going to apologize for it.”
Shapiro also called Pennsylvania “the ultimate swing state,” stating that “America can learn a lot from what happens here in Pennsylvania politically and otherwise.”
Asked about divisions within the Democratic Party, Shapiro said the party is engaged in an ideological struggle over its direction and messaging ahead of future elections.
“I expect our party over the course of this next year or so to go through a battle about what we believe in, and then come out unified in a way that we can take the fight to the other side and really deliver for the American people,” he said.
Shapiro’s comments come as Democrats continue to wrestle with internal divisions over Israel. The party has recently nominated several candidates aligned with its progressive wing, while some prominent Democrats have welcomed the support of far-left voices, including streamer Hasan Piker, who has referred to the Israel Defense Forces as a “Nazi army” and called Orthodox Jews “inbred.”
Among those candidates is Darializa Avila Chevalier, a democratic socialist and community organizer who defeated Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.), chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, in last month’s Democratic primary for a New York City congressional seat. Avila Chevalier was one of three left-wing House primary winners endorsed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
The governor was asked about Chevallier’s support for abolishing prisons and ending deportations, and her appearance at a pro-Palestinian rally a day after the Hamas attack against Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
“Her district voted for her, but I have profound differences with that particular candidate, based on the citations that you read there,” Shapiro said.
“She’s not someone who seemingly I would agree with on many things or that we share similar values,” he added. “She ran on the Democratic ticket, I guess, as a socialist. Her voters in that district determined that she was the one they wanted representing them.”
He also criticized U.S. President Donald Trump and U.S. Vice President JD Vance, stating that they “are trying not to lift up all Americans, but to divide Americans and to try and put us in different buckets, different tiers and try and say who’s more American than someone else.”
“And that, in and of itself, is un-American,” he said.
