Shapiro holds rally in Saint Clair

Jul. 6—SAINT CLAIR — Josh Shapiro, Democratic candidate for governor, said during a rally Wednesday afternoon at Saint Clair Fish and Game club that democracy is at stake in the November election.

"In the birthplace of our democracy, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, we have a responsibility, not just to win this governor's race, but to defend that 246-year-old experiment," the 49-year-old Pennsylvania attorney general told a standing-room-only crowd.

Shapiro faces a challenge from state Rep. Doug Mastriano, a Franklin County Republican, in an election that Shapiro acknowledges could be decided by a razor-thin margin.

Democrats enjoy a lead of about 600,000 registered voters statewide, but Shapiro leads only by a slim margin in recent polls. In Schuylkill County, Republicans outnumber Democrats in registration by more than 20,000.

After a 45-minute speech focusing on education reform, creating safe communities, giving equal opportunity to all people and supporting labor unions, Shapiro was mobbed by well-wishers. He spent nearly a half-hour shaking hands and posing for photos with supporters.

Asked if the response gave him confidence he could do well in Schuylkill County, Shapiro replied, "I'm impressed by the turnout and the enormous, incredible energy shown here today."

Shapiro grew up in Montgomery County and graduated from the University of Rochester with a degree in political science. While working on Capitol Hill, he attended evening classes at Georgetown University Law Center, where he earned a law degree in 2002.

After serving four terms in the state House of Representatives, he was elected a Montgomery County commissioner. In 2015, Gov. Tom Wolf named him chair of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.

He has been the Pennsylvania attorney general since 2016.

Contact the writer: rdevlin@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6007