Barack Obama endorses Josh Shapiro’s Pennsylvania reelection bid

Former US president Barack Obama released a video endorsement of Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro on October 9. Shapiro is seeking a second four-year term against Republican state treasurer Stacy Garrity.

In the video, first obtained by CBS News, Obama praised Shapiro’s record and urged voters to support him. He also stressed the importance of integrity in leadership and criticised political conditions in Washington. Those were the former president’s political assessments.

The endorsement is part of Obama’s wider involvement before the November 3 midterm elections. CBS News reported that he had recorded roughly two dozen messages for Democratic Senate and gubernatorial candidates. Videos released the previous day backed Jon Ossoff, Troy Jackson, Keisha Lance Bottoms and David Crowley. Obama is also expected to campaign in Michigan later in October for Abdul El-Sayed.

A Quinnipiac University poll released on October 7 showed Shapiro leading Garrity by 25 percentage points among likely Pennsylvania voters, with 63% approving of his performance. A September New York Times, Philadelphia Inquirer and Siena survey put his lead at 20 points. Those findings measure respondents’ preferences rather than the outcome of the forthcoming election.

Shapiro is considered a possible contender for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination, although he has repeatedly said his immediate focus is reelection. His political relationship with Obama dates to 2008, when Shapiro, then a state legislator, endorsed his presidential primary campaign.