PITTSBURGH — If Gov. Josh Shapiro becomes vice president, Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis would become Pennsylvania’s youngest and first-ever black governor.
Shapiro is widely believed to be one of several Democrats being considered as Kamala Harris’ vice presidential running mate. Harris is the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee after President Joe Biden withdrew his reelection bid on July 21. If Shapiro advances to senior office and steps down, Davis would serve out the remainder of his term.
Shapiro, who appeared Monday at a Harris campaign rally in Montgomery County with Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer — another Democrat who is believed to be in the vice presidential race — has so far dodged most questions about whether he is talking about joining the Democratic ticket, saying last week that it was a “deeply personal decision … that should be made really without any political pressure.”
Like Shapiro, Davis doesn’t speculate on hypothetical situations, preferring instead to boast about the accomplishments he’s most proud of while part of the Shapiro-Davis administration.
“I’m incredibly fortunate to have held this position for almost two years,” Davis told the Capital-Star. “Every day I get to wake up and serve as lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania is an incredible honor.”
Davis, 34, worked as a senior aide in Allegheny County government for former County Executive Rich Fitzgerald before being elected to the vacant 35th District House seat in a 2018 special election. He was reelected twice, and when he ran for lieutenant governor, Shapiro, the only Democrat running for governor in 2022, endorsed Davis in the primary.
Davis often tells the story of how he got into politics: When he was 16, someone was shot in his McKeesport neighborhood. After attending a city council meeting, he realized that not only was there a lack of representation, but no one in local government was talking about gun violence. He and a few peers started a gun-prevention initiative.
Gun violence prevention continues to be a key part of Davis’ work in state government. “The work I’ve done on gun violence here in Pennsylvania is something I’m particularly proud of,” he told the Capital-Star. “We’ve received $5 million augment Last year, a total of $45 million was allocated to combat gun violence and community violence.”
He added that the administration plans to establish a statewide Office of Gun Violence Prevention “that will help us better coordinate our efforts to combat gun violence across the Commonwealth.”
He also praised an $11.5 million investment in after-school programs included in the latest budget, which will be distributed through the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.
Davis endorsed Harris for president but declined to say whether he and Shapiro had discussed searching for a vice presidential candidate.
“I will just say that the conversations that the governor and I have are private,” he told the Capital-Star. “I will keep them private, but I will say this: I have a job to do and a constitutional obligation as lieutenant governor, and I will continue to do that job, no matter what happens. You go into this job knowing that one day you may be called upon to serve as governor, and if that happens, we will be ready.”
