Josh Shapiro, in his own words, on political violence and antisemitism

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is opening up about his Jewish faith at a pivotal moment in his political rise

PHILADELPHIA -- Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is opening up about his Jewish faith at a pivotal moment in his political rise.

The Democratic governor is marching toward reelection in one of the nation's most important swing states, a victory that could propel him into the very top of his party's presidential nomination fight. But he's also navigating physical and political risks that have threatened his family's life and his standing in a party that's deeply divided by Israel's war in Gaza.

Here are some highlights from a recent interview with Shapiro:

AP: Is the April 13, 2025, attack on your home, as you and your family slept, still something you think about on a regular basis?

SHAPIRO: I’m one of the fortunate ones in that I wasn’t killed the way Melissa Hortman was or Charlie Kirk was. I wasn’t injured the way Gabby Giffords or Steve Scalise were physically. But I think we also walk around with the emotional scars of it. To me, it’s less the dealing with the emotions as governor, to be honest with you, it’s far more dealing with it as a dad and a husband and this idea that I’m doing this work that I love, that I find great purpose in that I’ve dedicated my life to, and that thing I love to do brought my family close to death, and that’s a hard thing to work through as a dad, still working through it candidly,