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Former President Barack Obama endorses Gov. Josh Shapiro for reelection

Shapiro has been an outspoken supporter of Obama for nearly two decades. The former president called Shapiro "a friend" and "one of my earliest supporters" in the endorsement video posted to YouTube.

Former President Barack Obama takes the stage at a rally supporting then-Democratic gubernatorial candidate Josh Shapiro at the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, Pa., on Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022.
Former President Barack Obama takes the stage at a rally supporting then-Democratic gubernatorial candidate Josh Shapiro at the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, Pa., on Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022.Read moreTyger Williams / Staff Photographer

Former President Barack Obama endorsed Gov. Josh Shapiro for reelection on Friday, commending the incumbent Democratic Pennsylvania governor for standing up to President Donald Trump and GOP leaders during his first term.

The nod from the popular former Democratic president is the latest development in a string of campaign wins for Shapiro this week, including a new statewide poll of likely Pennsylvania voters that found he had a 25-point lead over his GOP challenger, state Treasurer Stacy Garrity.

“Today, it’s more important than ever we elect leaders with the decency and integrity and willingness to fight back,” Obama said in the 45-second video posted to YouTube by Shapiro’s campaign. “We need leaders like Josh Shapiro.”

Shapiro, in his capacity as governor, has sued the Trump administration frequently, including over federal funding freezes, mail-in voting restrictions, and other policies. Recently, Shapiro has publicly clashed with Trump’s Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy over measles-associated deaths in the state.

Shapiro has been an outspoken supporter of Obama for nearly two decades, dating back to his first presidential run in 2008.

In his memoir released earlier this year, Shapiro recalled being enthralled by the young U.S. senator from Illinois the first time he saw him speak in 2006 at the Keswick Theatre in Glenside at an event hosted by former Gov. Ed Rendell.

“I don’t know if you’re going to run for president, but if you do, I am all in,” Shapiro recalled telling Obama afterward. “I want to be the first.”

» READ MORE: Josh Shapiro’s new book: Why Trump told him he shouldn’t be president, disagreements over COVID-19 closures, and more

Once Obama announced his candidacy, Pennsylvania’s top Democrats largely backed Hillary Clinton. Shapiro — then a state representative — formally supported Obama alongside dozens of other Jewish leaders, asking the state’s Jewish community to support Obama because of his commitment to Israel, according to a New York Times report from the time.

“I was really struck by Obama,” Shapiro wrote in his book, Where We Keep the Light, released in January. “I thought he was kind of a once-in-a-lifetime political figure and that I could learn something from him.”

The two have maintained a relationship since then. The New York Times reported in 2024 that Shapiro seeks advice from Obama and that the two spend time together in person.

In his endorsement Friday, Obama noted their long history, calling Shapiro “a friend” and “one of my earliest supporters.”

During Shapiro’s first run for governor in 2022, Obama and then-President Joe Biden visited Temple University’s Liacouras Center in North Philadelphia for a major campaign rally for Shapiro and U.S. Sen. John Fetterman. Both Democrats went on to win.

Obama’s most recent boost for Shapiro comes as the former president this week made endorsements in more competitive gubernatorial contests across the country, including for former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms in Georgia and Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley in Wisconsin. Both of those races are open seats rated by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report as toss-ups, while Pennsylvania’s gubernatorial election is the only swing state ranked as “Solid Democrat.”

» READ MORE: Trump, stadiums, and a presidential run: Takeaways from the Pa. governor’s debate

Shapiro — who is widely rumored to be considering a run for president in 2028 — has been compared to Obama, particularly for his manner of speech. (As a story in The Atlantic this month noted, the two also have similar penchants for basketball and both owned dogs named Bo.)

The comparison of their speaking styles surfaced in 2024, when Shapiro was being vetted to be then-Vice President Kamala Harris’ potential running mate and then-Republican candidate JD Vance told a podcaster that Shapiro sounds like “a really bad impression of Barack Obama.” Shapiro told reporters at the time that Obama “was probably our most gifted orator of my time, so it’s kind of a weird insult.”

In his endorsement Friday, Obama also credited Shapiro for having “gotten stuff done for the people of Pennsylvania,” including free breakfast for public schoolchildren and protecting Pennsylvanians’ freedoms.

“Pennsylvania, Gov. Shapiro has your back, and in this election, I’m asking you to have his,” he added.

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