Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro promised in his first speech as governor to keep “three simple truths” that the country has lived on: freedom, democracy and a love of country.

Shapiro, 49, took his oath of office on Tuesday in front of the Harrisburg Capitol building to a crowd of hundreds of people. He was sworn in by State Supreme Court Chief Justice Debra Todd, the first woman to hold the top leadership position on the court.

Prior to Shapiro’s inauguration. Lt. Gov. Austin Davis was sworn in before the state Senate. Davis, 33, is the first Black lieutenant governor in Pennsylvania history and highest-ranking Black elected official in the executive branch.

Much of Shapiro’s speech reflected on the state of Pennsylvania’s democracy.

“We proved that we value our freedoms, and we’re willing to do the hard work necessary to protect our fundamental rights,” Shapiro said.

Shapiro’s win in November by a 15-point margin illustrated a “resounding” rejection of extremism, he said. He defeated State Sen. Doug Mastriano (R., Franklin), a far-right senator and Christian nationalist, in the November midterm election. (Mastriano was absent from the Capitol on Tuesday on “personal leave.”)

Read more of our coverage from Tuesday’s events:

— Gillian McGoldrick and Andrew Seidman

The ceremony closed with the Lincoln University choir singing a rendition of “America the Beautiful.” Shapiro swayed with his wife, taking in the moment, and then walked off stage, heading back to the Capitol building for the first time as governor.

— Andrew Seidman

Shapiro’s speech unsurprisingly emphasized themes that drove Democrats to success in last year’s elections — including the threats to abortion rights and democracy itself.

Yet while he stressed his party’s prime concerns, his prominent nods to law enforcement and public safety also suggested he wasn’t only speaking to Democratic base voters.

Democratic focuses were, to be sure, front and center. He talked about the diversity of his cabinet and staff, about funding schools, fighting racism and poverty and the importance of clean air and water.

He told of the grandmother who pressed him not to let abortion rights slip, and talked about “the fragility of our democracy” that’s been seen firsthand in Pennsylvania, adding, “we have to keep working at it, keep fighting to protect it.”

But Shapiro also showed that he knows he’s governing a diverse, purple state. That grandmother he quoted was from rural Lawrence County.

He talked about ideas that unify voters across the commonwealth, at one point saying, “From God’s Country to Gettysburg, I heard you when you said you want good schools for our kids, safe communities, and an economy that gives people a shot and lifts them up.”

Shapiro specifically cited people who didn’t vote for him, promising to “be a governor for all Pennsylvanians,” signaling an effort toward unity in a politically divided state in a politically divided country.

And he made several prominent references to law enforcement. Among his guests were the wives of Martin Mack and Brandon Sisca, two state troopers who were killed in the line of duty. And when Shapiro listed off the “freedoms” he intends to protect he added that “real freedom that comes when we invest in public safety.”

Shapiro is a Democrat through-and-through, from deep blue Montgomery County. But he’s also an ex-prosecutor, giving him a profile that has helped him in a swing state. For some voters, it could help expand his appeal, and bolster his standing both in the state and beyond.

— Jonathan Tamari

Josh Shapiro used his first speech as governor of Pennsylvania to describe the future he wants for the state. But he looked back as well, with a few sharply worded lines targeting his 2022 Republican foe, State Sen. Doug Mastriano and people who lie about rigged elections when their candidates lose.

The first hint came early in the 2,500-word speech, when Shapiro noted the bipartisan audience “formally celebrates the peaceful transfer of power” — a clear contrast to how former President Donald Trump left office in 2021, two weeks after the violent U.S. Capitol riot he is accused of stoking.

Mastriano was at the Capitol on Jan. 6 with a group of supporters and was photographed beyond police lines but has always said he did nothing wrong that day. He was subpoenaed by the U.S. House committee investigating Jan. 6 but refused to answer questions in an August interview.

Shapiro used Tuesday’s speech to again claim victory, noting he won the election with “a record number of votes, I might add.” He defeated Matriano by nearly 15 percentage points.

”You also sent a clear message — Democrats, Republicans and Independents — when you came together to resoundingly reject extremism here in Pennsylvania,” Shapiro said. “Together, hope defeated fear. Unity triumphed over division.”

Shapiro returned to the theme near the end of his speech, saying recent years have shown “the fragility of our democracy.

”Here in Pennsylvania, we didn’t allow extremists who peddle lies to drown out the truth,” Shapiro said. “We showed that our system works and that our elections are free, fair, safe and secure.”

Mastriano did concede to Shapiro — five days after the general election, well after the results were clear — and asked “everyone to give [Shapiro] the opportunity to lead and pray that he leads well.”

But on Twitter, Mastriano this month has been retweeting posts that question the election’s results while offering no evidence of voting problems or fraud.

— Chris Brennan

Shapiro is the state’s third Jewish governor. He emphasized his Jewish faith during the campaign as he warned of growing antisemitism and called out his opponent for connections to anti-Semitic supporters. Shapiro took the oath on a bible from the Pittsburgh Tree of Life synagogue, the scene of a mass shooting four years ago.

He referenced his faith in his inaugural address, too.

“Along the winding road that led to this moment, I’ve been grounded in my family and my faith,” Shapiro said.

He called Pennsylvania a historic haven for religious freedom and his inauguration a moment of “light in the midst of darkness.”

”Our commonwealth was founded on the promise of religious tolerance,” Shapiro said. “Pennsylvania, a place where Penn invited all to come and live and worship in peace and security. And now, in this place of tolerance, I stand before you, a proud American of Jewish faith who just took the oath of office to be the 48th governor of this great commonwealth on a bible from the Tree of Life synagogue, the scene just four years ago of the deadliest act of antisemitism in our nation’s history.

”Pennsylvanians can indeed find light in the midst of darkness and drown out the voices of hate and bigotry.”

Shapiro refrained from campaigning on the Sabbath and frequently talked about his religion and sending his children to Jewish day school. His ascension to the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion makes him one of the most influential Jewish politicians in the country.

» READ MORE: Shapiro picks historic Jewish bible from Philly museum for his inauguration

— Julia Terruso

Josh Shapiro just took the oath of office to become the 48th governor of Pennsylvania. His four children introduced him and his wife, Lori, to the stage.

Judge Debra Todd, chief justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, administered the oath of office. Shapiro took the oath on a bible from the Pittsburgh Tree of Life synagogue, the scene of a mass shooting four years ago.

— Julia Terruso

Former Pennsylvania Govs. Tom Ridge, Mark Schweiker, Tom Corbett and outgoing Gov. Tom Wolf are all in attendance at the swearing-in ceremony outside the state Capitol building. Members of the state House and Senate are here, as well as many federal elected officials including U.S. Sens. Bob Casey and John Fetterman.

“Your presence here today formally celebrates the peaceful transfer of power,” Shapiro said to the former governors seated behind him.

Shapiro credited Wolf for record increases in education funding and leaving the state in much better economic standing than when he entered the office in 2015. Wolf, 74, was all smiles as he completed his second term.

— Gillian McGoldrick, Andrew Seidman

Austin Davis made history on Tuesday by becoming the first African American to serve as Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor.

During a swearing-in ceremony, Davis said other Black leaders in Pennsylvania history paved the way for this historic moment and reflected on his upbringing outside Pittsburgh.

“Today the son of a union bus driver and a hairdresser, a boy who grew up in a small steel town often overlooked by those in power, a young man driven to his first city council meeting because gun violence oven came to my neighborhood, has reached the second highest office in this commonwealth,” Davis said during a speech following his swearing-in Tuesday.

Davis talked about how his grandfathers on both sides, one a steelworker, another a railroad foreman came to Pennsylvania from the South to create a better life for their families.

“When they made the journey they sought refuge from the suffocation of Jim Crow and the sting of segregation.”

But Davis stressed that the struggles of families across Pennsylvania continue.

“People closest to the pain should be closest to the power " Davis said, promising Pennsylvania families: “You are not alone... I hear you and understand your concerns because I’ve lived them.” He closed his speech by thanking Shapiro and saying: “Now, let’s get to work.”

Gov.-elect Josh Shapiro, his wife, and his four children were on hand to watch Davis take the oath of office.

Rev. Alyn Waller, senior pastor of the Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church in Philadelphia, delivered the opening prayer.

Judge Kim Berkeley Clark of the Fifth Judicial District of Pennsylvania administered the oath of office to Davis, telling him beforehand to “be a servant leader, be humble and be kind.”

Clark is the first Black president judge in Allegheny County. She told Davis at his history-making inauguration: “You are a shining example. You are hope for all the little boys and girls in Pennsylvania who look like you and so be a servant leader.”

— Julia Terruso and Gillian McGoldrick

The swearing-in ceremony is underway, and the state Senate will have a short session Tuesday. However, one notable person who isn’t here: State Sen. Doug Mastriano (R., Franklin), who lost to Shapiro in the November election by 15 points.

Mastriano is out on “personal leave,” Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman said. When his absence was announced, House Democrats from Philly and Pittsburgh began laughing.

Among the special guests present in the Senate chamber today for Davis’ swearing-in are U.S. Sens. Bob Casey and John Fetterman, outgoing Gov. Tom Wolf, former Lt. Gov. Jim Cawley, state Treasurer Stacy Garrity and Auditor General Tim DeFoor. All six state Supreme Court justices are here as well.

— Gillian McGoldrick and Andrew Seidman

Even if President Joe Biden runs for reelection next year (and an announcement either way is expected soon), Democrats know they need to find their next generation of national leaders, and Josh Shapiro’s supporters think he should be near the top of the list — especially if he can deliver results in a closely divided swing state.

There are many Democrats already lining up in Washington to become the heir apparent, including Vice President Kamala Harris, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and any number of senators. But governors hold a different kind of appeal. They can present themselves as outsiders to the typical Washington gridlock, and point to work that’s often closer to voters’ everyday lives and concerns.

They’re often seen (or presented) as more pragmatic figures than the partisan pugilists who fill Congress.

Shapiro has already built some significant political credibility by winning a blowout victory in a purple state that’s critical to presidential races (though he was clearly helped by a politically weak opponent).

If he can now make progress with a split legislature, it would only add to his national profile and attractiveness for Democrats wondering “who’s next?”

» READ MORE: Why the nation should have its eyes on Josh Shapiro

— Jonathan Tamari

Josh Shapiro never had to run to the left to win support from his fellow Democrats in 2022 because his political prowess and fund-raising deterred any primary challengers.

He started at the center of the political spectrum, where he wanted to be, and where he will be expected to govern.

Shapiro proposed accelerating the reduction in taxes on corporations, one of the few instances where he agreed with the far-right Republican nominee, Doug Mastriano, who never seriously attempted to move to the political center before Novemeber’s general election.

Shapiro sounded cautiously open to some proposals to allow public school dollars to pay for private school tuition, a long-held Republican goal.

And Shapiro, who just left a job as Pennsylvania’s top prosecutor, has significant law-and-order cred that could appeal to both sides of the isle.

» READ MORE: Josh Shapiro becomes Pennsylvania governor today. Here’s what to know.

— Chris Brennan

For nearly two months, a team of advisors has been working to ensure Democratic Gov.-elect Josh Shapiro has a smooth transition from attorney general to head of the nation’s fifth-most populous state.

Their mission: reviewing state agency business and making recommendations to help guide Shapiro as he takes over a bureaucracy of roughly 80,000 employees that handles more than $100 billion annually in state and federal dollars.

Yet the public may never know anything about the team’s work — or who is funding it.

That is because the more than 300 members of the Democrat’s transition were required to sign a three-page nondisclosure agreement that bars them from publicly sharing information about their activities. If they breach the agreement, they can be sued and face a heavy fine.

And because the team is organized under the federal tax code as a so-called “dark money” group, it does not have to publicly disclose the private interests that may be underwriting its work. Shapiro’s inaugural team, which will pay for his swearing-in day events next week, is similarly organized and is also shielding donor details.

» READ MORE: Secrecy has dominated Shapiro’s transition to Pa. governor. It may be a sign of what’s to come.

— Angela Couloumbis and Kate Huangpu, Spotlight PA

Austin Davis, 33, will be sworn in as lieutenant governor at 10 a.m. before the state Senate.

Davis will be the first Black lieutenant governor in Pennsylvania history, making him the highest-ranking Black official in the state’s executive branch. (Pennsylvania has never had a Black governor.)

You can watch his historic speech here.

— Gillian McGoldrick

Incoming Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro will be sworn in Tuesday at the Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex in Harrisburg.

Currently Pennsylvania’s attorney general, Shapiro is expected to discuss his goals for his first term as governor and reflect on his decisive win over far-right State Sen. Doug Mastriano (R., Franklin). He will be sworn in by Pennsylvania Supreme Court Chief Justice Debra Todd.

Things get started at 10 a.m., with the main inauguration ceremony set to begin at 11 a.m. Shapiro’s inauguration is scheduled to begin at noon.

Here’s everything you need to know to watch or stream the inauguration:

» READ MORE: How to watch Josh Shapiro’s inauguration as Pa.’s new governor

— Rob Tornoe