Eliyahu Gasson | editor-in-chief

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro announced his reelection campaign for the highest office in the commonwealth on Thursday.

His announcement capped off an event held inside the headquarters of Union Carpenters Local 432 in Pittsburgh that featured local labor, education and political leaders in Western Pennsylvania. 

Shapiro emphasized unity and empathy as a core tenet of his campaign and highlighted some of the policies his administration has implemented, including funding for after school programs and tax credits for child care.

“My optimism comes from those of you in this room, the people I’ve listened to along the way and the people who made this country work,” he said. “We are a state of builders, a state of doers and a state of get [explative] done.”

Shapiro made some early campaign promises, including raising the minimum wage in the state from $7.25 to $15 per hour.

“The work continues. The mission is not yet complete,” he told the crowd. “We’ve got more to do from raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour, the dream of owning their own home and putting an affordable roof over their head to producing more energy while protecting the environment.”

Eliyahu Gasson can be reached at gassone@duq.edu