Shapiro talks to area voters
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LEWISTOWN -- Democratic candidate for governor Josh Shapiro visited the Juniata Valley Saturday, making campaign stops in Mifflintown and Lewistown as part of a day-long swing through rural Pennsylvania.
Speaking to a full house at the Steelworkers Union hall in Lewistown, Shapiro spoke mainly about the differences between himself and Republican nominee Doug Mastriano, while pushing for support in an area where voter registration decidedly favors the other party.
He said that he didn't feel as though he was treading in enemy territory.
"I feel great support in these communities, and I think it's important to show up and let folks know here that they have company -- that there's a lot of Democrats and Republicans and independents who are coming together to support my campaign," he said. "I think our coalition looks different than some other campaigns in the past, in part because of what I've brought to the table and in part because of just how dangerous and extreme my opponent is."
He didn't hesitate to use the same phrase to describe Mastriano, against whom he draws a distinct political difference.
"I don't think people want chaos -- I think my opponents brings a level of chaos to this conversation that folks are frankly tired of," Shapiro said. "I think our steadiness, our calm is reassuring to a lot of voters."
Shapiro said he knows how important the voters of this area are, and his message was about both "protecting our democracy and winning this race -- how important it is to invest in education and workforce development, to defend our fundamental freedoms.
"I'm to just make them understand how important this pivotal community is for our collective success," he said.
Shapiro faces a difficult fight against history -- neither party has seen a governor elected to succeed and outgoing executive from the same party.
"But we've also never seen times like this ... or a candidate like me who's got the experience and the know-how to be able to bring people together to actually get things done," he said.
Shapiro, the current attorney general and part of Gov. Tom Wolf's administration, said he's not concerned about baggage from Wolf, who has been criticized for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. He maintains the position that it's about the candidates, not the current occupant of the state's executive mansion.
"This race is about a binary choice between Josh Shapiro and Doug Mastriano," he said.
Ultimately, Shapiro said, temperament may be a deciding factor in the November election.
"I tend not to get too high or too low. I think people want a governor who's going to be steady," he said. "They want a governor who's going to go to work every day to get things done for them."