Philadelphia leaders react to Tim Walz’s selection as vice president over Josh Shapiro

For the past two weeks, as Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has been auditioning for vice presidential nomination, it has been abundantly clear where most top Democrats in Philadelphia stand.

“If you want to win Pennsylvania, there is no other candidate,” Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker declared at a rally last month.

So in Shapiro’s home of southeastern Pennsylvania, Vice President Kamala Harris’ decision to instead choose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate was bittersweet. His allies said Tuesday that while they would aggressively campaign for Harris-Walz, several said they were disappointed their hometown favorite didn’t get the nod.

That Harris introduced Walz as her running mate in Philadelphia — just a few miles from Shapiro’s Jenkintown home — added to the blow in some ways. Shapiro, who grew up in Abington, has deep Philadelphia ties and began his political career in Montgomery County, where he served as a state representative and county commissioner.

” READ MORE: Gov. Josh Shapiro has faced the most criticism of any vice presidential candidate. Here’s why.

“I was hoping it would be something special, that Pennsylvania could celebrate here in the birthplace of the nation, that our guy would be the nominee,” said Philadelphia City Councilman Jim Harrity, “and this is a little disappointing.”

He added that he will likely skip the rally and attend a community event instead, saying: “I will continue to support [Harris] wholeheartedly, but maybe I’ll take advantage of today to sit down with my constituents.”

Shapiro himself also appeared, delivering a speech to the raucous crowd and promoting Walz as a “great patriot,” saying he and his wife Lori feel “blessed” to have known Walz and his wife, Gwen.

“They are outstanding public servants,” Shapiro said, “and I look forward to you, Philly, the rest of this community and the country having the opportunity to meet the Walzes, the next vice president and second lady of this country.”

On Tuesday, immediately after the news broke, Shapiro’s supporters raised concerns about the governor’s options, with some speculating that if Harris wins, she could be nominated for U.S. attorney general — or a leading candidate for the 2028 presidential nomination if she loses.

“He’s teenage, still. Big things are going to happen for him,” Philadelphia Democratic Party Chairman Bob Brady said of Shapiro, whom he texted shortly after the news broke. “I told him, ‘Listen, this isn’t like you’re going to disappear into the sunset. You’re our governor. You’re the number one in the state. You don’t have to be the number two in the country.'”

Democrats say Walz is still a ‘Pennsylvania person’

State Rep. Mike Schlossberg, a Lehigh County Democrat who represented Shapiro, said he expected the governor to enthusiastically support Walz.

“He is too professional and too committed to democracy and freedom to do anything other than put his heart and soul into the Harris-Walz campaign,” Schlossberg said. “I’m sure it must hurt like never before. But in politics, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.”

Parker, who gave a speech at Temple and called for Democratic unity, similarly said Shapiro is a “consummate professional.”

“I’ve worked with him for many, many years,” Parker told CNN’s Jake Tapper. “We know, he knows, that we’re all going to come together to defeat Donald Trump.”

Others who publicly pressed Shapiro said Walz is still a strong choice, given that he is a Midwesterner running alongside Harris, who is from deep-blue California. Danny Bauder, president of the Philadelphia AFL-CIO, an umbrella organization of more than 100 labor unions, said he sees the Minnesota governor as a friend of unions.

“He’s like a fisherman, a hunter, a cabin guy,” Bauder said. “Honestly, other than Josh Shapiro, I don’t know if there’s anyone more Pennsylvania.”

Montgomery County Board Chairwoman Jamila Winder said she hoped to see Shapiro on the ballot and that his “history of accomplishments” in the state would give the Harris campaign an advantage in the key battleground state.

But she added that she was “confident he will do the job to get two good Democrats across the finish line in November.”

Neil Makhija, a Democrat on the Montgomery County Board, said that while “for many people, the election of Shapiro would be extraordinary,” his constituents in Montgomery County “are excited about the opportunity to elect President Kamala Harris.”

“From what I’ve seen, Tim Walz is a great choice,” he said.

‘Progressive Outrage’ Over Shapiro

Progressives, meanwhile, said Harris’ selection showed her team was looking for someone who could generate grassroots enthusiasm. Over the past two weeks, Shapiro has faced a wave of opposition from the party’s left, which has criticized his statements on the Middle East conflict, his support for private school vouchers and his office’s handling of a sexual harassment complaint against a former aide.

At the same time, Walz, who appeared on television and gave almost daily interviews, became a darling of the left.

Robert Saleem Holbrook, executive director of the Philadelphia-based Abolitionist Law Center, has worked with Shapiro’s administration on criminal justice policy and is a progressive organizer in the city. He said some activists were discouraged by Shapiro’s tendency to “default to the center” and saw Walz as more willing to fight for progressive priorities.

Holbrook said some were particularly concerned when Shapiro spoke in April about anti-Gaza war protesters, stating, “We have to wonder whether we would tolerate this if these were people dressed up in Ku Klux Klan attire or regalia and making comments about African Americans in our communities.”

“I don’t believe in Walz’s positions [on the Middle East] are so different from Shapiro,” Holbrook said. “But those comments definitely made a lot of progress.”

Melissa Robbins, a political activist and former candidate for Philadelphia City Council, said she was “overjoyed” that Harris chose Walz, citing Shapiro’s stance on private school vouchers and pro-Palestinian camps at the University of Pennsylvania.

“His position on this was potentially dangerous,” Robbins said, “and could have taken away from one of the most historic presidential campaigns we’ve seen.”

Inquirer reporters Katie Bernard, Layla Jones and Fallon Roth contributed to this article.