Gov. Shapiro is making a $250,000 donation — and big imprint on the Pa. Democratic Party

Gov. Josh Shapiro may not have announced his gubernatorial reelection bid just yet, but he’s getting the state Democratic Party ready for 2026 and beyond.

The governor made a $250,000 donation to the Pennsylvania Democratic Party this week, just as the party named Larry Hailsham Jr. — a longtime Shapiro ally — its new executive director.

Hailsham, a longtime political strategist, was Shapiro’s political director for his 2022 campaign and served as the administration’s executive deputy chief of staff. He worked on former President Joe Biden’s 2020 campaign in Pennsylvania and on Sen. Bob Casey’s 2018 campaign.

A Pittsburgh native like recently elected Pennsylvania Democratic Party chair Eugene DePasquale, Hailsham said he was honored to step into the role.

“It is critically important that we show up, fight for our values, and win — and for us to do so, we need a party that knows how to get the job done,” Hailsham said. “I’m ready to serve alongside Governor Shapiro, Chairman DePasquale, Lieutenant Governor Davis, and the entire Pennsylvania Democratic Party as we build the team and the operation we need to win.”

Shapiro, in a statement included with the announcement, called Hailsham a “a true public servant,” who he said will be a “strong asset” for the party.

There’s precedent for the state’s governor installing a deputy as the party’s executive director. Kevin Washo, who served as executive director of the party from 2010 to 2012, was an ally of former Gov. Ed Rendell. And Sinceré Harris was a political director for former Gov. Tom Wolf before she became executive director of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party in 2015. (Harris now serves as a top aide to Mayor Cherelle L. Parker.)

Shapiro is up for reelection next November and has already drawn a challenge from state Treasurer Stacy Garrity, a Republican. Shapiro defeated State Sen. Doug Mastriano by 15 points during his first run for governor in 2022, though Garrity is seen as a likely stronger opponent having already won a statewide election last year.

While a close working relationship will benefit Shapiro to ensure the party’s efforts align with his campaign strategy, the party is also poised to benefit from the governor’s popularity.

A Quinnipiac University poll released this week showed Shapiro with an exceedingly popular approval rating for a first-term governor, with 60% of Pennsylvanians approving of the job he’s doing, including 66% of independents. If those numbers hold, Shapiro could boost Democratic candidates up and down the ballot in 2026.

The poll showed Shapiro up 16 points against Garrity, who is still unknown to many voters. In a highly theoretical matchup between Shapiro and Vice President JD Vance for president, Shapiro led by 10 points in the survey of Pennsylvania voters.

Shapiro’s investment in the party follows a $100,000 contribution pledge made by U.S. Sen. John Fetterman shortly after DePasquale took the helm.

The $250,000 investment is “to ensure the Pennsylvania Democratic Party has the infrastructure it needs to reach voters and win in 2025, 2026, and beyond,” Shapiro for PA spokesperson Manuel Bonder said in a statement. Bonder recently moved from Shapiro’s administration, where he was press secretary, to directing his political communications.

The state party reported about $62,000 in its federal fundraising account in July — which is significantly less than other swing state parties — as well as $40,000 in its state committee account.

DePasquale has said bringing in money and boosting voter registration — a metric where Democrats continue to severely lag Republicans — are key priorities.

“As Chairman, we got straight to work on day one,” he said in a statement. “And together, we are going to show up and win the trust and support of voters all across Pennsylvania in order to elect leaders that will deliver for them.”