Josh Shapiro hopes his Pennsylvania coattails can flip the House for Democrats

NANTICOKE, Pennsylvania — Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA) is spending the final days of his reelection campaign focused on a prize that goes beyond his aspirations as governor.Shapiro is trying to help Democrats retake the House majority in Washington, stumping for candidates whose win or loss on Tuesday could be decided by whether his gubernatorial run has long enough coattails.Over the next few days, Shapiro is visiting each of the four Pennsylvania battlegrounds that, taken together, could be enough to flip the House into Democratic hands next week. His first stop was on Wednesday night with Paige Cognetti, the Scranton mayor challenging Rep. Rob Bresnahan (R-PA), and will be followed by events on Thursday and Saturday for three other Democratic House candidates: Janelle Stelson, Bob Harvie, and Bob Brooks.The stops renew speculation that Shapiro has more than the governorship in mind as he campaigns for a second term. He’s frequently mentioned as a possible candidate for president in 2028 and, if Democrats retake control of the House, could take credit for helping strip power away from Republicans.Speaking at a college gymnasium in Luzerne County, Shapiro framed the election as a referendum on President Donald Trump and asked voters to support Cognetti as a “check” on his presidency.“You not only have a great person you can vote for … but you get a twofer,” Shapiro said Wednesday. “You put her in Congress, and you also quite literally change the balance of power in Washington. It’s an extraordinary power.”NEWSOM TELLS DEMOCRATS HE’S AS ‘RUTHLESS’ AS TRUMP IN EARLY 2028 PITCHShapiro differs from the long list of 2028 hopefuls criss-crossing the country this cycle, choosing to camp out in Pennsylvania rather than campaign for congressional candidates in other states.But a commanding win on election night could allow Shapiro to make the case that he would be a strong top of the ticket in a marquee presidential battleground. Polls show him up by more than 20 points against Republican state Treasurer Stacy Garrity, and he’s widely expected to win on Tuesday.Shapiro has more than 2028 to consider as he runs again for governor. He’s campaigning on long-running priorities, including a $15 minimum wage, that he hopes can be signed into law in his second term, and doing so will require Democrats to flip the GOP-run state Senate.As part of that push, he’s raised millions for the state party and appeared with downballot candidates in those races.Still, Shapiro has not exactly tamped down talk of a presidential run, sidestepping whether he’ll serve out a full term as governor and generating new buzz this month when he launched a federal PAC to fund congressional candidates.At his event for Cognetti, Shapiro spent most of his speech on national politics and Trump, at one point pitching himself as a governor who stood up to the president on everything from immigration enforcement to his mail-voting crackdown.MAINE DEMOCRATS FRET OVER TROY JACKSON’S GUARDED SENATE CAMPAIGNShapiro has not faced a well-funded candidate in either of his gubernatorial runs, placing an asterisk on how he would perform if he does run for president in 2028. But his choice of Luzerne County for Wednesday’s event was notable given its reputation as a GOP stronghold.Trump won there in 2024 by 19 points, but Shapiro also carried it two years earlier — albeit by a smaller, 1-point margin — when he ran against Republican Doug Mastriano.“It was by a little bit,” Shapiro said. “We’ve got to win it by a whole lot for everybody this time.”Attendees at the event praised Shapiro as a “lucid” and effective communicator, and most who spoke to the Washington Examiner were supportive of a presidential run.Heidi Owens, a 50-year-old resident of Hanover Township, said she prefers that Shapiro serve out his entire term, but that she wouldn’t necessarily consider it a mark against him in a Democratic primary.“I’d like to keep him for another four years,” Owens said.Another attendee questioned whether Shapiro’s Jewish faith would be an obstacle to some voters. Shapiro survived an arson attack at his governor’s residence last year during Passover, an act the assailant said was motivated by the war in Gaza.DEMOCRATS GIVE BRIAN FITZPATRICK A RUN FOR HIS MONEY IN PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE BATTLEGROUNDShapiro’s campaign swing is just his latest on behalf of House Democrats. This month, he stumped with Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), who would likely become speaker if Republicans lose power in November.The current speaker, Mike Johnson (R-LA), has maintained a heavy presence in the state and spent his Wednesday evening rallying for Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA). Johnson will appear in Rep. Ryan Mackenzie’s (R-PA) district on Friday in what he says is his eighth visit of the cycle there.