Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA) this week suggested he’ll stay away from pushing progressive priorities in Pennsylvania if Democrats hit a trifecta in the battleground state’s upcoming midterm elections.
Democrats currently control the governor’s seat and the state legislature’s lower chamber. Should his party secure power over the state Senate as well on Tuesday, Shapiro told Semafor he wouldn’t focus on advancing a stream of progressive bills, as Democrats in some swing states have done after winning the legislature.
The governor, often seen as a likely presidential contender in 2028, instead said he’d focus on raising the minimum wage, among other priorities.
“I’m going to the good people of Pennsylvania, saying: I want to raise your minimum wage,” Shapiro said in an interview published Friday. “I want to give survivors of sexual abuse the opportunity to confront their abuser in court. I want to have a big housing and critical infrastructure fund.”
The required minimum wage in Pennsylvania is $7.25 an hour. The average hourly wage statewide is much higher, at over $34, according to federal data, compared to the nationwide average of $37.
Shapiro’s latest remarks echo a pledge he made shortly after signing a bipartisan state budget earlier this year, when he promised Democrats would raise the minimum wage within “the first 30 days” if they take back both chambers in January.
“We will codify abortion rights into law in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” Shapiro said. “We’re going to build more affordable housing and take on those utility companies that keep jacking up our rates here in Pennsylvania.”
The governor has long touted his bipartisan approach in Pennsylvania. But a win in the Nov. 3 elections could hand Democrats their first governing trifecta in Pennsylvania in over three decades.
Democrats need to flip just three seats in the state senate to win a majority. Shapiro’s party is hoping to accomplish that by ousting incumbent Republican lawmakers in the 6th, 16th, 24th and 40th state Senate districts in eastern Pennsylvania.
In the 40th district, which encompasses Monroe County, as well as portions of Lackawanna County and Wayne County, Democrats view state Sen. Rosemary Brown as a vulnerable target.
In Bucks County, Democrats are targeting state Sen. Frank Farry in the 6th District.
In the 24th District, state Sen. Tracy Pennycuick is facing an intense challenge from Democratic Chris Thomas.
DEMOCRATS GIVE BRIAN FITZPATRICK A RUN FOR HIS MONEY IN PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE BATTLEGROUND
In the 16th District, which falls in Bucks County, Sen. Jarrett Coleman is facing Lehigh County Controller Mark Pinsley, in a tight rematch of their 2022 contest.
Though Democrats are looking to flip the state Senate, they are also playing defense in the state House, where they hold a narrow 103-100 majority. Republicans need to net just two seats to gain control of the lower chamber.
Continue reading...
[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
