Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA) urged Democrats on Wednesday to move beyond anti-Trump messaging and focus on delivering results for voters.
At Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network convention, Shapiro laid out what he believes Democrats must do to win back voters ahead of the midterm elections and beyond. Shapiro, who is up for reelection this year, said 2026 had the possibility to be “a national referendum on Donald Trump” that boosts turnout even in noncompetitive states.
“If you are upset and angered … by the chaos and the cruelty and the corruption that we see every day, well, you got to get out and vote,” he said.
But Shapiro warned Democrats against defining themselves solely in opposition to Trump, arguing the party must offer a clear governing vision.
“Our affirmative vision … can’t just be about banging Donald Trump every day,” Shapiro said. “It has to be about what we are going to do to make people’s lives better.”
He pointed to his own governing approach in Pennsylvania, centered on improving schools, public safety, economic opportunity, and protecting individual rights, as a model.
“I believe that showing people that government can make their lives a little bit better … builds a real coalition,” he said.
Shapiro’s appearance comes as several Democrats eyeing a possible 2028 presidential run are attending the convention, a gathering that has long served as a key venue for engaging black voters.
Other Democrats seen as possible 2028 contenders are also set to appear at the convention throughout the week, including former Vice President Kamala Harris and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
Pressed by Sharpton on whether he is considering a presidential run, Shapiro stopped short of a direct answer but signaled interest in shaping the party’s future.
“I want to be a part of that debate,” he said, referring to a broader conversation about the Democratic Party’s direction after the midterm elections.
He argued Democrats must engage in “an honest conversation” about their priorities and vision for the country, rather than simply attempting to restore pre-Trump norms.
“What we need to do is not rebuild what was broken down, but build something better,” Shapiro said.
On the topic of foreign policy, Shapiro offered criticism firmly in the mainstream of fellow Democrats.
“This was a war of choice by the president of the United States, a war I did not support,” Shapiro said. “The president never came to the American people and said, this is our objective … and if you don’t know why you went in, you sure as heck don’t know when it’s time to come out.”
Shapiro argued the administration’s actions have made the United States less secure, pointing to uncertainty around Iran’s nuclear program and disruptions to global energy routes.
“I view all of these issues through the prism of what is in the best interest of America’s national security,” he said. “The manner in which the president has gone about this … makes us less safe, not more safe.”
The Iran critique was part of a broader indictment of Trump’s leadership, which Shapiro described as chaotic and dangerous, particularly amid rising political tensions at home.
“The kind of chaos Donald Trump brings to everything he touches,” Shapiro said, arguing that rhetoric targeting religious groups contributes to real-world threats.
He tied that concern to his own experience, recounting a violent attack on his family at the governor’s residence last year during Passover and warning that political leaders bear responsibility for lowering tensions.
“When you attack people based on what they look like or how they pray, you make everyone less safe,” he said.
Despite talk of a 2028 presidential run, Shapiro is facing voters in Pennsylvania. The race to date appears to heavily favor his reelection as governor.
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Shapiro raised $10 million in the first three months of 2026, according to campaign finance records, setting a new benchmark for fundraising in a Pennsylvania gubernatorial race. The haul far outpaces early receipts from his expected Republican challenger, State Treasurer Stacy Garrity.
Shapiro began the year with $30 million on hand and reported just over $4.5 million in spending, leaving him with roughly $36 million in the bank as the race unfolds. Garrity, by contrast, started the year with just over $1 million, spent more than half of it, and now has about $1.5 million cash on hand.
