Pa. Gov. Josh Shapiro declines to 'engage in hypotheticals' about possible VP role
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Many people are questioning what the full Democratic ticket is going to look like in November now that President Biden has announced he will "stand down."
One of several names being thrown around as a potential vice presidential candidate is Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro.
Sources tell ABC News that Harris called Shapiro on Sunday after she officially launched her campaign for the presidency.
On Monday, Shapiro made his first public appearance in Pittsburgh at an event for the EPA after that phone call.
"We spoke only about beating Donald Trump," the governor noted.
Shapiro repeatedly declined on Monday to say whether he would accept an offer to be Harris' running mate, telling reporters he would "not engage in hypotheticals."
"This is a deeply personal decision the vice president will make. She will make it on her own timetable and on her own timeline," he said. "She needs to choose someone that she's prepared to govern with, campaign with, and someone that she feels most comfortable with. That decision should be made free of any sort of political pressure."
The Pennsylvania governor has been seen a lot in national news stories in the past year.
He was recently on the ground in Butler, Pa., after the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. He was also often on the scene after the I-95 collapse and rapid rebuild on that stretch of road in Philadelphia.
"My number one choice is Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro," said Rep. Joanna McClinton, (D) Pennsylvania Speaker of the House. "He is the only governor right now that has led a commonwealth with a divided legislature. Everywhere else, it's either all Republican or all Democrat -- from governor to House, to assembly, to delegates, to the Senate. He has done a phenomenal job."
McClinton is also a super delegate and has joined a growing chorus of Democratic leaders backing Shapiro for Harris' running mate pick.
Senator Chris Coons of Delaware, a co-chair of the Biden-Harris campaign, is another who is embracing Shapiro as a potential VP pick.
"I think he's a capable, talented, and an outstanding statewide leader and I do hope VP Harris will consider him," Coons said.
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Gov. Shapiro, 51, has also been a loyal surrogate for Biden. He has won three statewide races: two as attorney general and one as governor. He also served as a Montgomery County Commissioner during his early days in politics.
"Pa. is really the key state to this year's presidential and senatorial election," Coons noted.
Shapiro says in the meantime, his focus will be on the commonwealth.
What would happen if he is selected?
If selected, Shapiro would be allowed to remain governor while running and only has to give up the office if he wins and is sworn in as vice president.
Shapiro issued a statement Sunday endorsing Harris and saying he would do everything he could to get her elected.
ALSO SEE: What happens next now that Biden has dropped out of the 2024 Presidential Race?
Pennsylvania is, of course, a battleground state.
Other potential candidates
Other potential VP candidates include Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Illinois Gov. J. B. Pritzker and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly
