Gov. Josh Shapiro will headline New Hampshire Democrats’ convention

Gov. Josh Shapiro has batted back questions about his national political aspirations in his first eight months on the job, saying he’s focused on being governor.

But he’s also leaning into the kind of brand-burnishing opportunities that a future presidential candidate might seize.

Next month Shapiro will headline a convention of New Hampshire Democrats, his first trip as governor to the early voting state known to court potential presidential nominees.

New Hampshire’s Democratic Party described the Sept. 30 gathering at Bedford High School as “a premier Democratic political event in the country,” in a release announcing Shapiro’s appearance.

“Every national Democratic leader in the last 50 years has spoken at a NHDP convention, attracting sitting presidents, vice presidents, potential presidential candidates, every chairman of the Democratic National Committee and other notable national leaders.”

Shapiro will talk about his campaign and beating state Sen. Doug Mastriano ahead of New Hampshire’s own battle for an open gubernatorial seat next year. The New Hampshire governor’s race is widely viewed to be one of the most competitive in the nation.

“In Pennsylvania, we defeated extremism and showed the rest of the country what it looks like to come together behind a vision for a better future — one where we create real opportunity while defending our rights and advancing real freedom for all.” Shapiro said in a release. “New Hampshire voters face a similar choice next November. ... I’m grateful for the opportunity to speak to Granite Staters at this critical time for both New Hampshire and our nation’s future.”

Shapiro is also expected to tout President Joe Biden’s record and along with it, likely a favorite topic — the I-95 bridge collapse and coordination between the governor and the White House to build a temporary bridge in less than two weeks.

Shapiro was the face of the nationally watched repair effort, which has also become a talking point in Biden’s reelection campaign. The governor is currently coming off of his first budget season, during which negotiations initially stalled and then ended in victory for him after he worked with Republicans to avoid an extended standoff.

Biden has a substantial lead in the Democratic primary, ahead of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Marianne Williamson. The contest could be an interesting one, though, given new DNC rules that would take away the state’s first-in-the-nation presidential primary and give it to South Carolina. Democrats in New Hampshire have been unflinching about voting first, pointing to state law that demands it.

The standstill puts Biden in the awkward position of deciding whether to appear on the New Hampshire ballot after encouraging the DNC to give the first primary to South Carolina, a much more diverse state that turned the tide in his 2020 run. There’s a good chance Biden skips the contest, opening the door to a long-shot rival winning the early primary state. Democrats in New Hampshire have said they’re prepared to launch a robust write-in campaign for Biden to prevent that from happening.