CHICAGO — Pennsylvania Democrats kicked off the Democratic National Convention on Monday with a rousing speech at the delegates’ breakfast by Gov. Josh Shapiro, who said his administration’s motto of “GSD” — getting stuff done — also describes the state party’s work.
“We understand our role in protecting our fundamental rights and fundamental freedoms,” Shapiro said. “That’s the reason for our work and that’s what we’re making progress on in Pennsylvania, and this GSD model, well, that’s what Kamala Harris and Tim Walz have lived in their public service careers.”
Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the party’s presidential and vice presidential candidates, were “two middle-class kids who grew up with dreams of service to others,” Shapiro said, adding that Harris was “battle-hardened and ready to go.”
“But in many ways, this election is not just about the names on the ballot,” he added. “This election is about all of you and the unique responsibility that we have as Pennsylvanians, two and a half centuries later, to continue to work hard, to continue to motivate, to continue to organize, to knock on doors and organize on our ‘For You’ pages” — a reference to TikTok’s ‘For You’ page, which recommends videos to users.
“This is a moment that calls us to rise up, to stand up, to demand more,” Shapiro said. “And my fellow Pennsylvanians, I know we are ready for the test. So are you ready to work?”
Shapiro spoke to reporters after his speech, firmly rebutting former President Donald Trump’s comment Saturday at a rally in Wilkes-Barre that Harris did not choose Shapiro as her vice presidential running mate because he is Jewish. “Anti-Semitism played absolutely no role in my dialogue with the vice president. Absolutely none,” Shapiro said.
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“Donald Trump is the least credible person to listen to when it comes to hate, bigotry and certainly anti-Semitism,” he added. “This was a guy after Charlottesville, when people were walking around with tiki torches saying, ‘Jews will not replace us,’ who literally said, ‘There are good people on both sides.’”
It is unclear whether Shapiro will speak during the convention’s prime-time speeches.
Walz made a surprise appearance at the breakfast, praising Shapiro and the state party for mobilizing support for Harris.
Harris and Walz were in western Pennsylvania on Sunday, touring that part of the state by bus. They stopped at a fire station, Primanti Bros., a high school football practice, a campaign office and a Sheetz. Walz’s mention of Sheetz was met with gentle boos from members of the delegation committed to Sheetz’s eastern Pennsylvania rival, Wawa.
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“You hear me say this all the time, this idea that ‘hope’ is the most powerful word in the universe,” Walz said Monday. “It is, but it’s not a damn plan. You have to plan to win. You have to plan to make a difference.” Since Harris became the presumptive nominee, Walz said, more than 48,000 Pennsylvania volunteers have signed up for the campaign.
President Joe Biden withdrew his reelection bid in July after a shaky debate performance and endorsed Harris. Biden, whom Walz called “the best president of my lifetime,” will address the convention on Monday night.
Pennsylvania House Speaker Joanna McClinton (D-Philadelphia), the first black woman to hold the position, issued a set of guidelines to her Democratic colleagues regarding the upcoming election.
“We’re here with purpose, with purpose, but we have a lot of work to do in our communities,” she said. “We need to put on our sneakers. We need to go to our circle of friends, to our circle of people we haven’t met yet. And we need to take the fire that we have in Chicago and march back to every corner of the Commonwealth because we only have 80 days to implement democracy.”
