Josh Shapiro becomes Pennsylvania governor today. Here’s what to know.
Pennsylvania’s 48th governor will take office Tuesday after his decisive win in the November midterm election.
Josh Shapiro will be sworn in as Pennsylvania’s 48th governor Tuesday, with several events scheduled around Central Pennsylvania to mark his inauguration — including performances from Motown legend Smokey Robinson and rapper Wiz Khalifa.
Shapiro, 49, will be sworn in and deliver an inaugural address in front of the state Capitol building in Harrisburg. He’ll promise to build a Pennsylvania with good schools, safe streets, and an accessible economy, senior aides said.
Shapiro will be joined on stage by a number of guests Shapiro met on the campaign trail or worked with during his time as Pennsylvania’s attorney general. Several are from Philadelphia and the surrounding region, including:
Dorothy Johnson-Speight and Michelle Kerr Spry, gun violence prevention activists at Mothers in Charge who lost their children to gun violence
Stephanie Mack and Brittany Sisca, whose husbands were Pennsylvania State Troopers killed in the line of duty by an alleged drunk driver
Juliann Bortz and Mary McHale, who were sexually abused as children by Roman Catholic priests in Pennsylvania
Tyrone “Cakes” Sims, a Southwest Philly basketball coach
Tom Wheeler, a former Philadelphia police officer and long-time Republican who voted for Shapiro
Donna Jacobsen, an addiction awareness advocate whose daughter is in recovery from a substance use disorder
Before Shapiro’s swearing-in ceremony, Lt. Gov.-elect Austin Davis will take his oath of office in the state Senate chamber. Davis, 33, will be the first Black lieutenant governor in Pennsylvania history. The former state representative from McKeesport, a city outside Pittsburgh, will serve as Shapiro’s second-in-command and preside over the state Senate.
Shapiro’s speech will outline his overall goals for his four-year term, senior Shapiro administration officials said. He’ll use his speech to reflect on voters’ “resounding rejection” of extremism by electing Shapiro over far-right state Sen. Doug Mastriano in November.
Shapiro will tout work he did as attorney general that he says shows his willingness to take on big fights, such as his lawsuits against major pharmaceutical companies or empaneling grand juries to investigate childhood sexual abuse in religious institutions.
The inauguration ceremony begins at 12 p.m. Shapiro will be sworn in by Pennsylvania Supreme Court Chief Justice Debra Todd.
Shapiro’s speech is the only one scheduled for the inauguration ceremony. He’ll be sworn in on three bibles, including one from Philadelphia’s Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History and another from Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Synagogue, where 11 worshippers were killed in 2018 in the nation’s most deadly anti-Semitic attack in its history. He will be Pennsylvania’s third Jewish governor, and is recognized as one of the nation’s most influential Jewish politicians.
Following his inauguration, Shapiro will join his cabinet members for their swearing-in ceremonies.
Then he’ll make his way to Lititz in Lancaster County for his inaugural bash at 6:30 p.m. Robinson, who has personal and business ties to Pittsburgh; Wiz Khalifa, a Pittsburgh native; and indie rock band Mt. Joy, from Philadelphia, will all perform at the ticketed, sold-out event.
While the inauguration ceremony will be livestreamed, the celebration in Lititz will not.
Both of Tuesday’s inaugural events are funded by private donors, and no taxpayer dollars are being spent on the events, the aides said.