Ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, Gov. Josh Shapiro is using his broad popularity and giant cash stockpile to boost Democratic candidates downballot in competitive elections across Pennsylvania while he campaigns for his own reelection bid.
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At a union hall in Harrisburg, Shapiro joined the Pennsylvania Democratic Party Saturday to launch a new effort that will pool donations to fund field offices, signage, and volunteers to support Democrats in key state Senate seats and congressional districts.
“We have an opportunity here in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the birthplace of our democracy, the swingiest-swing state in the country, to decide what the future of the Congress of the United States looks like, and to be a model for good governance right here in Harrisburg,” he said.
He referred to the effort, called Rise Up Pennsylvania, as “the most coordinated, well-funded, well-organized campaign in the history of the Democratic Party here in the commonwealth.”
Shapiro, a first-term Democrat, is in a strong position as he faces a challenge from his Republican opponent, State Treasurer Stacy Garrity, for the governor’s mansion. He’s leading Garrity 53% to 40%, according to a poll of registered Pennsylvania voters released this week from Quinnipiac University. Both Shapiro and Garrity faced no opposition in their party’s primary.
And he remains popular in the state, with 51% of respondents in the poll reporting a favorable opinion, and 56% approving of the way he is handling his job as governor.
He also boasts a massive war chest that continues to grow. Between April and June, Shapiro brought in $12 million toward his reelection bid, bringing his total fundraising to $50 million since January 2025, his campaign told The Inquirer this week. Garrity’s campaign did not share its fundraising numbers, which are not due to the state until Sept. 22. During the last cycle, he outraised her 10-to-1.
But the larger test this November for Shapiro, widely expected to be considering a run for president in 2028, will be whether he can translate his political influence to other candidates. If Democrats flip the state Senate, four Democratic congressional candidates Shapiro backs beat Republican incumbents, and he wins, the governor could become somewhat of a Democratic kingmaker in one of the nation’s biggest battlegrounds.
And his efforts in these races are not just a simple show of support.
Earlier this week, Shapiro’s campaign announced he has given more than $3.3 million to the state party and its election effort since the fall of 2025, with $1.5 million of that since April.
The party, which is operating Rise Up Pennsylvania, can use the money toward door-knocking and phone-banking efforts.
Shapiro has endorsed union leader and firefighter Bob Brooks in the Lehigh Valley-based 7th Congressional District, who is running against Republican U.S. Rep. Ryan McKenzie. He’s also endorsed Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti, who is running to unseat Republican U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan in the 8th District. And he has backed Bucks County Commissioner Bob Harvie in his quest to defeat Republican U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick in the Bucks County-based 1st District.
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On Saturday, Shapiro alongside former local TV anchor Janelle Stelson, who is challenging Republican U.S. Rep. Scott Perry for the second time in the Harrisburg-based 10th District.
“I know we’re frustrated right now. I know we’re angry right now,” Shapiro said. By “making sure Janelle is our next congressman, we can stop this chaos, this cruelty, and this corruption in D.C.”
Stelson blasted Perry for his votes on supporting U.S. military action in Iran and for his involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, riots at the U.S. Capitol. She said voters have been concerned about corruption and wants to institute age limits for members of Congress.
Shapiro has also sought to strengthen Democrats’ chances by installing his allies to lead the state party.
“From now through Election Day, we are going to keep our foot on the gas to make sure that we are not only taking advantage of the moment that the delusional president has given us with this political opportunity, but also expanding on our state House, flipping the state Senate, reelecting our governor and making Donald Trump a lame duck president,” said Eugene DePasquale, chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party.
Democrats have already opened 27 field offices across Pennsylvania, hired 100 full-time organizers, and knocked on 63,000 doors, DePasquale said.
A moderate Democrat who boasts about his success cutting taxes, Shapiro has struggled to get top Democratic priorities through the Pennsylvania legislature, where the GOP controls the Senate.
Also on stage Saturday were state Sen. James Malone, who is running for reelection, and Sarah Agerton, a former Mechanicsburg Borough Council member who is running for the state House.
If Democrats flip the Senate, Shapiro said his priorities would be raising the state minimum wage, codifying access to abortion, and funding more affordable housing.
“All of this is possible, and this, in many ways, is the center of what is going to decide whether we have a trifecta in Harrisburg and a Democratic majority in Washington,” Shapiro said.