Shapiro aims to generate new-found freedom for the Commonwealth
By Zak Zanella ‘23, news editor
Democratic candidate for governor, Josh Shapiro, along with Austin Davis, were sworn into office as Pennsylvania’s 48th governor and the 35th lieutenant governor, respectively. The January 17 inauguration took place at the State Capitol Complex in Harrisburg.
Shapiro became Pennsylvania’s youngest governor at only 49 years of age.
“Real freedom won in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The kind of freedom where we give people the opportunity to start a small business, to marry who you love, and to live in a Commonwealth that respects you for who you are,’’ Shapiro remarked in a statement from his official campaign website, upon winning the popular vote. “Thanks to all of you, in the birthplace of our democracy in the cradle of liberty, we defended real freedom.’’
Shapiro skyrocketed to his win by handily beating his far-right Republican rival, Doug Mastriano, by approximately 13 percentage points. Previously, Shapiro served as the 50th attorney general since seizing control of the position in 2017. Now that he is governor, he will nominate a worthy successor to fill the remainder of his four-year term, which will last until 2024.
Shapiro’s campaign made its mark into Pennsylvania’s storied history in more ways than one. In another milestone, his fellow running mate, Davis, is the first Black lieutenant governor in state history. According to a tweet from his official Twitter account, Austin claims to be “honored” to oversee the position of Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor. “I will work tirelessly to ensure that every family in this Commonwealth has ladders of opportunities to succeed – so that every generation that comes after can be better off than the one that came before them,’’ he added.
From 2018 to 2022, Davis served as a Democratic member of the House of Representatives, representing the 35th Legislative District in Allegheny County.
Shapiro and Davis’s cooperative efforts will focus on improving Pennsylvania’s economy and helping its citizens in many ways. Shapiro will also work on cutting carbon emissions by making the state home to a “new regional hydrogen hub’’ and increase funding for specific programs, such as career-building and technical education. Additionally, he plans on championing the emergence of new job sectors, including biotechnology, robots, and automated driving vehicles.
In only his first ten days in the position, Shapiro signed an executive agreement to establish a state-of-the-art hub for businesses who are seeking to foster innovation and transform the economic outlook of the state, which will be known as the Pennsylvania Office of Transformation and Opportunity within the Governor’s Office and the Economic Development Strategy Group. Both of these units will work to establish a unified relationship between economic growth and development, with a particular special focus on serving the needs of disadvantaged and underserved communities.
“My Administration will connect our business, our workforce, our world-class universities and research institutions, and the public sector to spur economic development, particularly in communities that have too often been left behind,’’ Shapiro explained.
As a part of this plan, the new governor appointed Ben Kirshner, a fellow Pennsylvania business leader and entrepreneur, as Chief Transformation and Opportunity Officer. “Businesses of all sizes have been asking for economic development to be a focal point in his administration, and he answered their calls by creating the Office of Transformation and Opportunity,’’ Kirshner stated. “I am proud to serve our business community and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.’’
Shapiro serves as the successor to fellow democratic Tom Wolf, who held the position since January of 2015. That year, Wolf was crowned victorious over Tom Corbett, a former state governor and attorney general, allowing him to cement his position as the very first presidential candidate to defeat an incumbent governor, ever since Pennsylvania has allowed permission for candidates to seek re-election, according to the fifth Pennsylvania Constitution, adopted in 1968. In November 2018, Wolf gained the upper hand once again by earning a second term as governor, this time beating brash Republican candidate and businessman Scott Wagner by more than 800,000 votes, and served along with lieutenant governor John Fetterman, who also currently serves as the U.S. senator for Pennsylvania, as of January 3. Wolf has played a prominent role in assisting Shapiro with a smooth transition to the position. Shapiro has made it explicitly clear that he was confident in the transition being a smooth one, but has split decisions regarding certain issues, including Wolf’s emphasis on climate change. ‘’Obviously, we’re going to leave our own mark, and we’re going to chart our own course, and I know that’s what Gov. Wolf would want us to do,’’ he said.