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Pa. Lt. Gov. Austin Davis says he’s ready to step up if Josh Shapiro becomes vice president

If Shapiro is chosen as Kamala Harris' running mate and they win the presidential election, Davis would take over as Pennsylvania's governor.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro gestures to Lt. Gov. Austin Davis as he delivers his first budget address to a joint session of the state legislature at the state Capitol in Harrisburg last year. (Dan Gleiter/The Patriot-News via AP)
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro gestures to Lt. Gov. Austin Davis as he delivers his first budget address to a joint session of the state legislature at the state Capitol in Harrisburg last year. (Dan Gleiter/The Patriot-News via AP)Read moreAP

Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, who is second-in-command to Gov. Josh Shapiro, said he’s ready to serve as governor if needed as speculation swirls around Shapiro as a potential vice presidential nominee.

Davis would complete Shapiro’s term if the governor ascended to the role of vice president, but a few things would need to happen first: Shapiro would need to be chosen as Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, and then Democrats would need to win the White House in November.

But Davis is prepared to take over whenever he may be asked, he said at a news conference Wednesday in Lancaster.

“When you take this job, you recognize that one day you may be called upon to serve as governor,” Davis said. “And if that moment comes, we’re ready to serve and continue to lead Pennsylvania forward.”

Davis called Shapiro a “tremendous public servant,” and said he’s “excited about the possibility that he’s going to continue his public service.”

Davis, 34, is the youngest lieutenant governor in the country and Pennsylvania’s first Black lieutenant governor. With Shapiro’s support, Davis has grown the responsibilities of the lieutenant governor’s office from lacking much power to having a say over several policy initiatives.

Among those new responsibilities include his appointment as chair of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, which handles the state’s plans for gun violence prevention and intervention — a core issue for Davis that led him to public service.

Davis said he’s watched Shapiro throughout the years, when he was a state representative, a county commissioner, attorney general, and now, governor.

Among the qualities that make him a good running mate, Davis said, Shapiro is dedicated and delivers results for Pennsylvania residents, as shown in the state’s recent $47.6 billion budget.

“I’ve seen how he listens to people, and I see how he values individuals and lifts them up here in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” Davis added.