February 21, 2016
Matt Rourke/AP
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf, left, accompanied by Commissioner Josh Shapiro speaks during a news conference, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2015, in Norristown, Pa. Pennsylvania is a month and a half into its new fiscal year without a state budget.
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf announced Sunday that he will back Montgomery County Democrat Josh Shapiro in the November election to replace embattled Attorney General Kathleen Kane, who announced last week she will not seek re-election as she prepares for her criminal trial on felony perjury and related charges.
Shapiro, a former Pennsylvania Representative and current chairman of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners, played a leading role in Wolf's transition team and was later appointed chair of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.
To gain the Democratic nomination, Shapiro, 42, will have to contend with Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli and Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappalla Jr. On the Republican side, former federal and state prosecutor Joe Peters and Pennsylvania State Delegate John Rafferty have both declared their candidacy for the seat, which has been mired in controversies over Kane's legal saga and the fallout of the Porngate scandal.
In making his endorsement, Governor Wolf cited Shapiro's resistance in Montgomery County to Republican-backed measures including a voter identification law and the state's ban on gay marriage, both of which have been overturned by the courts. He also lauded Shapiro for his policy against management fees for pension fund investment services.
After hearing that Kane would not seek re-election, Shapiro released a statement crediting her for "doing what is right for Pennsylvania":
"Now we need to choose the best Democrat to change Harrisburg. It is clear that the Republicans will nominate someone who has been part of gridlock and politics as usual in the state legislature,” Shapiro said. “We know they won’t get illegal guns off our streets or hold the drillers accountable when they pollute our drinking water.”
Fresh off his re-election in Montgomery County, Shapiro recently outlined his plan to restore integrity to the Attorney General's office, including a ban on political gifts and enforcement of a new Ethics Code.
Earlier this month, former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell announced his endorsement of Shapiro after offering his support for Kane in the run-up to a Senate vote on whether to remove her from office. Kane survived that vote on Feb. 10 and pledged to continue serving Pennsylvania as she awaits trial in August.
In a January poll conducted by Harper Polling, Pennsylvania voters in the Democratic primary for Attorney General were narrowly split between Zappala and Shapiro, at 20 percent and 19 percent, respectively. Philadelphia City Council President Darrell Clarke and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Stollsteimer, who had been considering a run, have also endorsed Shapiro for Attorney General.
