WHERE OTHER PA DEMS STAND ON THE VP PICK Sen. John Fetterman has made clear he doesn’t want Gov. Josh Shapiro to be Kamala Harris’ vice-presidential pick. He’s going further than any of his Pennsylvania Democratic colleagues, but there are signs others may have some complicated feelings. Labor unions and Democratic leaders had gathered in Philadelphia last month to publicly support Harris at the top of the ticket, but the event became all about Shapiro — and some lawmakers didn’t attend, including Rep. Brendan Boyle. Reading between the lines: When asked if he supported Shapiro, Boyle first mentioned Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz but made clear he'll back whoever. “Tim Walz is a longtime friend and former colleague. Josh Shapiro is also a longtime friend and former colleague. And I’ve been friends with Pete for decades. I support them all. The main thing is that this is VP Harris’ decision and I will happily support whichever running mate she picks,” Boyle said in a statement. Another member of the delegation offered a similar statement, specifying the decision for vice president is ultimately up to Harris. "Gov. Shapiro is certainly worthy of consideration as Vice President Harris' running mate. As the governor has said, it's a deeply personal decision and she'll make that decision when she's ready,” Rep. Dwight Evans (D-Pa.) said in a statement. Additionally, Shapiro has had some tension with Rep. Summer Lee (D-Pa.). Lee canceled a fundraising appearance for a Muslim civil rights group earlier this year after reports surfaced that other speakers had previously made antisemitic comments — and Shapiro, who is Jewish, had criticized her decision to appear. Plus, one of Lee’s staffers runs a social media account that is actively campaigning against Harris picking Shapiro. Shapiro’s office did not respond for a request for comment. The backstory on Fetterman: The Democratic senator’s private criticism of Shapiro reflects their long-standing rivalry after they served on Pennsylvania’s Board of Pardons together. Still, there have been no reports that Pennsylvania Democrats besides Fetterman have raised concerns with Harris’ team about Shapiro, a bold step due to the potential for backlash either from the top of the ticket or their state’s governor. And many of them, contacted by POLITICO on Monday, are publicly excited about the possibility of a Vice President Shapiro. “He embodies some of the values that I think Americans are craving right now, and certainly Pennsylvanians are,” Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.) said in an interview with POLITICO on Monday. “And that is civility and decency, the willingness to have a hard conversation, but also just to have a conversation.” Purple-district Rep. Susan Wild (D-Pa.) said: "While it would be bittersweet to lose him as our governor, I have no doubt that Josh Shapiro would make a tremendous Vice President.” And Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.), who has an incredibly close relationship with Shapiro, raved about his potential. “As I said, I'm going to be very happy, whoever she chooses, they're all talented, but I'll be extremely happy if it happens to be my constituent, Gov. Shapiro,” she said. “I’ll be doggone excited if he is her choice.” The other Pennsylvania senator: Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.), too, didn’t hold back on his endorsement for Shapiro specifically. "I obviously favor Gov. Shapiro, I think he'd give us a big lift in Pennsylvania and I think he'd be a really strong running mate. But that's her decision,” Casey, who’s running for reelection, said on MSNBC over the weekend. Harris held interviews with Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, Shapiro and Walz at the vice president’s residence in Washington over the weekend. She is set to announce her pick for running mate by Tuesday, where she will appear on stage alongside them at a Philadelphia rally, kicking off a five-day tour to seven battleground states. — Daniella Diaz and Holly Otterbein, with an assist from Nicholas Wu
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