Josh Shapiro Speaks at Kamala Harris Rally in Philadelphia

Gov. Josh Shapiro, who was recently passed over for Kamala Harris’ vice presidential nomination, nevertheless took the stage to tout Harris’ campaign at her rally Tuesday in Philadelphia.

He walked into Temple University’s packed Liacouras Center to a sea of ​​signs for Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, narrowly missing an opportunity to put his name on them — just hours after Harris made her decision.

When he took the stage as a campaign surrogate rather than a vice presidential candidate, he received a standing ovation. And he delivered a rousing speech, his voice straining toward the end in support of Harris and Walz.

The thunderous applause as Shapiro spoke — at times almost inaudible — was a testament to the love Pennsylvania Democrats have for the first-term governor, who is known to have national political ambitions.

“I want you to know that I will continue to put my heart and soul into serving you every day as your governor,” Shapiro said at the beginning of his speech. “And I will work hard to make sure that Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are the next leaders of the United States of America.”

Harris’ decision not to select Shapiro was based on political and personal factors, according to sources familiar with the process.

But the vetting and decision-making process seemed to be quickly swept under the rug for Shapiro and Harris, former prosecutors who have known each other for two decades, on Tuesday night. Harris, in her remarks as she took the stage in Philadelphia shortly after Shapiro spoke, called the Pennsylvania governor “a dear, dear friend and an extraordinary leader.”

She also said she would continue to count on Shapiro’s aid to win the election in his home state.

“I’m so committed to our friendship and doing this together because together, Josh Shapiro and I, we’re going to win Pennsylvania,” she added. “And thank you, Josh, thank you.”

Shapiro has been thrust into the spotlight over the past two weeks and has been the most scrutinized of Harris’ vice presidential candidates, despite efforts to campaign in the shadows. He has been criticized by public education advocates, pro-Palestinian groups and others. He also has bipartisan appeal and a winning record, and some Republicans were relieved that the popular swing-state governor was not on the ticket.

But the governor, in the uncomfortable position of rooting for Walz to get the job he applied for, did not seem bitter. He humbly accepted the thunderous applause — at times so raucous that he had to stop his speech — emphasized his love for his job as Pennsylvania governor and praised Walz as a personal friend and “a great patriot.”

“I can’t wait for you, Philly and the rest of the Commonwealth to have a chance to meet the Walzes,” Shapiro said.

Walz, the leader of the Democratic Governors Association, told the crowd the same thing: Shapiro is a “treasure, a visionary” and “can breathe fire into him.”

“Everybody in America knows that when you need to fix a bridge, you call this guy,” Walz said, pointing to Shapiro and referring to his work to quickly reopen I-95 after part of it collapsed in Philadelphia last year.

“And there’s no one you’d rather go to [Bruce] “Springsteen and I went back to a concert in Jersey, and then he did,” Walz added, noting that the two governors had once attended a concert together.

Shapiro, in his 20-minute speech, also addressed an issue that came up during the vetting process: his Jewish faith.

The United States has never elected a Jew as president or vice president, and in recent weeks Shapiro has faced criticism from pro-Palestinian advocates for his stance on Israel and the war in Gaza, some of which has bordered on anti-Semitism.

Republicans were quick to suggest Tuesday that Shapiro’s religion was a reason he wasn’t elected. Sen. J.D. Vance, a former Trump vice presidential candidate, said during a campaign rally in Philadelphia that Shapiro had to “run away from his Jewish heritage” when he ran for vice president.

Shapiro, who did not downplay his faith as Vance suggested, responded Tuesday at the Liacouras Center. He said his family and faith led him to a career in public service.

“I am proud of my faith,” he said unequivocally.

While rally attendees applauded Harris and Walz, some expressed disappointment that the Pennsylvania native did not top the candidate list.

“I really wanted him. He’s from here and he knows us,” said Myriam Santiago, 71, of Germantown. “But I think he has a radiant future. I think he’ll be a presidential candidate at some point.”

Journalist Jesse Bunch contributed to this report.