Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said Sunday the election of socialists in Democratic primaries will force the party “to have a battle over what we believe in.”
Mr. Shapiro, eyed as a Democratic contender for the White House in 2028, appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union” and took not-so-subtle swipes at President Trump, whom he suggested was imposing tyranny that the founders fought against 250 years ago.
“I fear we are finding our way back to that,” Mr. Shapiro said.
As for his party’s internal battle, the governor said he has “profound differences” with Darializa Avila Chevalier, who won the primary for a U.S. House seat in New York City.
Ms. Chevalier has called for abolishing prisons and ending deportations. She attended a pro-Palestinian rally in 2023 that justified the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel.
“Her district voted for her, but I have profound differences from that particular candidate based on the citations that you read there, and she’s not someone who seemingly I would agree with on many things or that we share similar values,” Mr. Shapiro said. “Her voters in that district determined that she was the one they wanted representing her.”
Mr. Shapiro characterized recent wins by Ms. Chevalier and other socialist candidates running as Democrats as an important exercise for the party.
“I think what our party has to go through, it will be very health and something we’ve not really done since the 1992 election cycle, is to have a battle over what we believe in,” Mr. Shapiro said.
The governor, who gave the interview while touring Philadelphia’s Liberty Bell and Carpenter’s Hall, where the First Continental Congress met, took jabs at Mr. Trump and blamed him for the nation’s divide.
“Things are hard right now, I think, because of the excesses and the corruption and the chaos of the executive, something that our founders in this room debated and deliberated over,” Mr. Shapiro said. “They were worried about creating a government where a king could form again, and where one individual would amass so much power that you’d have tyranny all over again.”
Mr. Shapiro suggested the socialists running and winning elections within his party are engaging in “performative politics” and “making a lot of noise,” and now have to deliver on their big campaign promises.
“It’s one thing to speak in platitudes during a campaign, it’s a whole other thing to actually deliver for people who are genuinely hurting, who genuinely need to see the cost of living go down, meaning their ability to make ends meet go up, fixing a broken health care system, reining in excesses, being able to give people the promise of liberty that we’ve talked about,” Mr. Shapiro said. “I think we as a party need to find our way toward candidates who actually can deliver for people and make their lives better.”
An Emerson College Poll taken in late May found Mr. Shapiro’s support rose to 10% in their 2028 presidential poll, up from 7% in February.
He was tied with former Vice President Kamala Harris and trailed former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg with 18%, followed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom at 16% and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at 11%.
