Word on the street is Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has plans to run for president in 2028 if he wins the re-election campaign in 2026.
Pennsylvanians are divided over whether the state’s former attorney general would make a good president.
According to the latest survey conducted by Quinnipiac University2 in 5 respondents (40%) say Shapiro would make a good president, while 43% think he would not.
Democrats support their standard-bearer, with 69% saying he would do a good job and only 16% disagreeing, while Republicans (14-74%) and independents (32-44%) think he would not make a good president.
More women (47-37%) than men (34-50% think Shapiro is up to the task).
Approval of work
Whether or not Pennsylvanians think Shapiro would make a good president, he appears to be doing well as their governor, with a 56% approval rating and a plus-27 approval rating. His numbers have declined since an October 2025 Quinnipiac poll that showed a 60% approval rating and a +32 favorability rating.
“His support has declined somewhat, but he remains one of the most popular governors in the country,” said a Quinnipiac University polling analyst. Tim Malloy.
Nine in 10 Democrats and nearly half of independents (49%) approve of the way Shapiro is handling his job, while only a quarter of Republicans (24%) share the same sentiment.
“Shapiro has maintained a solid record as governor. Do Pennsylvania voters think he is fit for the Oval Office? Not a strong endorsement.”
Women largely approve of Shapiro’s performance (63-24%), while men also express approval of him (50-34%)
Governor’s race
Shapiro has an 18-point lead over his likely Republican challenger Stacy Garrity in a survey of 836 self-identified registered voters in Pennsylvania. The poll ran from February 19 to 23 and had a margin of error of +/- 4.7 percentage points.
The incumbent has 97% of Democrats and 51% of independents in his corner, while the State Treasurer has 82% of GOP support.
Shapiro is +6 among men (48-42%) and an impressive +30 among women (63-33%).
The governor has a favorability rating of +21 – meaning 51% have a favorable opinion and 30% have an unfavorable opinion. Garrity is down 1, with 16% voting yes and 17% voting no, but she has time to introduce herself to voters as 66% say they haven’t heard enough of her.
That said, 15 percent of those surveyed say they haven’t heard enough about Shapiro.
US senators
- John Fetterman (D)
- Work Approval 46% | +6 favor (46-40)
- Republicans approve of his performance (73-18 percent), while Democrats disapprove by a margin of 62 to 22. Nearly half of independents (48 percent) approve with a rating of +11.
- Men approve of his performances (50-39%) more often than women (43-41%)
- Dave McCormick (R)
- Work Approval 37% | +4 favor (37-33)
- Once again, men approve of his performances (42-32%) more than women (32-33%)
President Donald Trump
- Work approval 40% | -15 favor (40-55)
- These numbers have dropped by three and four points respectively since October.
- 39% support economic management and 56% oppose it
Midterm elections
If the midterm elections were held today
- 49% say they want the Democratic Party to take control of the U.S. House of Representatives
- 43% say they want the Republican Party to take control of the House of Representatives
- Among independents, Democrats 41%, GOP 36%
US economy
Roughly 3 in 10 voters (28 percent) think the country’s economy is getting better, 47 percent think it’s getting worse and 23 percent think it’s staying the same.
This compares to a Quinnipiac University poll conducted on January 10, 2024, when 26 percent believed the situation was improving, 44 percent believed it was getting worse, and 29 percent believed it was remaining about the same.
Mobile phones in schools
Nearly 3 in 4 people surveyed (71%) support a ban on the employ of mobile phones in Commonwealth primary and secondary schools during school hours, while just 20% oppose the idea.
Republicans (78%), independents (73%), and Democrats (64%) may have found an issue they can all unite behind. Even parents of children currently attending elementary and middle schools support the idea, as nearly two-thirds (65%) support laws banning cell phone employ during the school day.
Minimum wage
Earlier this month, Shapiro again called on the state to raise the minimum wage from $7.50 an hour. Nearly two-thirds of respondents agree with the governor and support an enhance to $15 an hour.
Democrats and independents strongly support the idea, with 95% and 67% respectively. Republicans are opposed to the concept, with nearly 3 in 5 disapproving (58%).
Recreational cannabis
The governor’s next proposal was to legalize recreational employ of cannabis under certain conditions. Once again, Democrats (72%) and independents (63%) support the plan, while GOP respondents oppose it by a nearly 2-to-1 margin (64%).
AI data centers
Voters 68-20 percent would oppose building an AI data center in their community, while 12 percent expressed no opinion. Democrats (81-12%), independents (67-22%), and Republicans (53-28%) would oppose building an AI data center in their community.
“When it comes to building massive AI data centers across the state, voters are screaming… Not in my backyard,” Malloy said.
The survey of 836 self-identified registered voters in Pennsylvania was conducted February 19-23, with a margin of error of +/- 4.7 percentage points, adjusted for design effects.
Quinnipiac University Poll, led by Dr. Doug Schwartz since 1994, it has been conducting independent, nonpartisan national and state polls on politics and issues. Surveys follow industry best practices and employ probability-based sampling, using random digit dialing, with live interviewers calling landlines and mobile phones.
