A day after winning reelection, Gov. Josh Shapiro gathered legislative leaders in Harrisburg to herald a new Democratic ‘trifecta’ that he promised will achieve several of the party’s long-held objectives.
Democrats, for the first time since 1993, will hold a majority of the seats in the Pennsylvania Senate, and the party added to its slim advantage in the state House of Representatives.
“Here’s what I can guarantee you we will get done,” Shapiro said Wednesday from the steps of the Governor’s Residence. “We will fund mass transit. We will raise the minimum wage. We will make sure that women have a right to reproductive freedom here in this commonwealth.
“We will build more housing. We will allow survivors of abuse the ability to confront their abusers in court. These are all things that have been inexplicably blocked by Republicans who have led the Senate, even though broad, bipartisan majorities support these items.”
Shapiro declined to discuss specifics, telling reporters that he and lawmakers would return in the coming weeks with a detailed agenda for the first 100 days of the new term. Nothing in those plans should come as a surprise, he added.
A coalition of progressive groups indicated that they would be holding Shapiro and Democratic lawmakers accountable and called on them to increase funding for education and health care; pass a state voting rights act; and introduce more protections for immigrants and workers.
“The people and communities who organized to make these victories possible must have a meaningful role in shaping what happens next,” said Steve Paul, executive director of One Pennsylvania, in a statement.
“This is not a time for the Democratic leadership in Harrisburg to be timid or to serve corporate donors,” he added. “This is a time to be bold, to work for the people, and to use their political capital to improve the daily lives of working-class Pennsylvanians.”
Though not mentioned in Shapiro’s remarks, others have wondered whether the partisan shift could lead to Pennsylvania legalizing recreational marijuana, tightening gun laws or granting cities like Philadelphia greater flexibility in how it taxes its residents.
“Over the last 30 years, 45,000 Pennsylvanians have died from gun violence while proven gun safety solutions stalled in committee, on the floor, and in the Pennsylvania Senate,” CeaseFirePA Action CEO Adam Garber said in a statement. “Those are missed graduations, birthdays, and moments of joy with family and friends.
“We don’t have to live this way any longer. The new General Assembly has the opportunity to vault Pennsylvania into the top tier of safe states by advancing policies that make us safe at home and safe in our community. It’s time to get to work.”
City Council President Kenyatta Johnson, speaking about Democratic gains at the state and federal levels, said Tuesday’s results “will create a historic opportunity starting in January for greater alignment between our city, Harrisburg, and Washington, D.C.”
"For Philadelphia, this could mean more state and federal resources, stronger public education, investment in affordable housing, improved public transportation, expanded economic development, addressing food insecurity, and safer neighborhoods,” he continued.
Shapiro, considered a contender for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination, beat his Republican challenger, Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity, by more than 20 percentage points. Garrity pulled in about 1 million fewer votes, preliminary state election results show.
“I know Pennsylvania can lead the nation again,” Garrity posted on social media Tuesday. “But as I said in nearly every speech I gave on the campaign trail: Leadership matters, accountability matters, and putting Pennsylvania first matters.
“Tonight’s results do not change that. They only make our responsibility to hold our leaders to that standard more important.”
Come January, Democrats will hold a 26-24 advantage in the state Senate. The party had a 23-seat lead in the state House as of Wednesday afternoon, with several races still too close to call, according to the Associated Press.
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