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Shapiro and Torsella Lead Latest Biden Endorsement Rollout

Uniting behind the Scranton native. 

Former Vice President Joe Biden, who already held a significant endorsement advantage in Pennsylvania, rolled out endorsements from Attorney General Josh Shapiro, Treasurer Joe Torsella, plus 71 other Democrats throughout the state on Monday afternoon. 

The release from the Biden campaign says these endorsements “represent a diversity of support” across Pennsylvania and added that it represents a “broad coalition needed to defeat Donald Trump.” 

“I’ve known and worked with Vice President Biden for two decades,” Shapiro said in the release. “He is a strong leader—and right now, we need his moral clarity, his grit and his experience more than ever. It’s time to restore decency and honor to the presidency and to our nation. That’s why I’m so proud to stand with this large group of local and state leaders from across Pennsylvania to support Joe Biden.”

Shapiro added in his statement that the nation is facing many serious challengers, citing the opioid epidemic, gun violence, and a “system rigged against the voiceless,” and described Biden as the candidate most capable of addressing these issues. 

Torsella said that he’s seen families “struggle” as a result of Trump’s policies and believes that Biden can unite the nation and win the general election in November. 

“The American presidency is about leadership and character, especially in times of crisis,” Torsella said. “I’m proud to endorse Joe Biden, because he has both.” 

“As State Treasurer, I see every day how families are struggling under the failures of the Trump Administration, on everything from student debt to opioids to our health care,” Torsella continued. “We can trust Joe Biden to fight for their futures, not his own. As a fellow son of Northeastern Pennsylvania, I know he has the toughness to beat Donald Trump in November, the values to bring our country together and back on the right track, and the character to be a leader we can look up to.” 

In addition to dozens of endorsements from members of the state legislature in this rollout, Biden’s campaign also announced support from former Congressmen Bob Brady and Bob Borski and former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, who previously served as Michael Bloomberg’s presidential campaign’s national political co-chair

While this rollout helps solidify Biden’s support among Democratic elected officials in the keystone state, he’s also previously been endorsed by Sen. Bob Casey, seven of the state’s nine member Democratic Congressional delegation, a dozen county commissioners from southwest PA, and a slew of support from elected officials from Northeast PA. Sen. Bernie Sanders biggest endorsements in the state include state Reps. Liz Fiedler (D-Philadelphia), Sara Innamorato (D-Allegheny), and Summer Lee (D-Allegheny).  

While Biden has emerged as the clear frontrunner for the nomination, polling conducted shortly before the first Super Tuesday showed Biden and Sanders in a competitive primary race in the state, although there were several other Democrats still seeking the party nod and the race was viewed more as a toss-up. General election polling also shows a tight race between President Donald Trump and the two Democratic frontrunners. 

A Quinnipiac University poll released twenty five days ago showed all of the Democratic presidential frontrunners leading Trump in the state with Biden holding the largest lead of 8 points and Sen. Bernie Sanders leading Trump by 4 points. However, a Morning Call/Muhlenberg College poll released eighteen days ago showed Sanders with the best odds as the only Democrat defeating Trump head to head in the state by 3 points, while Biden was tied with Trump, although both results were within the margin of error. 

As for the Democratic primary, a poll from Franklin and Marshall College released in late January showed Biden leading the Democratic pack with 22%, while Sanders was in second place with 15%, followed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren with 14%, and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg in fourth place with 7%. However, the Election Research Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison released a poll three weeks ago that showed Sanders leading the way in the Pennsylvania Democratic primary with 25%, followed by Biden in second place with 20%, and Bloomberg in third place with 19%.

Pa. holds its 2020 primary on April 28.

The full list of the endorsements from Monday’s rollout can be seen below. 

  • Josh Shapiro, Attorney General
  • Joe Torsella, State Treasurer
  • Bob Brady, Former Congressman
  • Bob Borski, Former Congressman
  • Vincent Hughes, Senate Minority Appropriations Chair
  • Lisa Boscola, State Senator
  • Maria Collett, State Senator
  • Steve Santarsiero, State Senator
  • Tina Tartaglione, State Senator
  • Frank Dermody, House Minority Leader
  • Jordan Harris, House Minority Whip
  • Matt Bradford, House Minority Appropriations Chair
  • Kevin Boyle, State Representative
  • Donna Bullock, State Representative
  • Tim Briggs, State Representative
  • Mary Jo Daley, State Representative
  • Tina Davis, State Representative
  • Margo Davidson, State Representative
  • Austin Davis, State Representative
  • Dan Deasy, State Representative
  • Tony DeLuca, State Representative
  • Maria Donatucci, State Representative
  • Mike Driscoll, State Representative
  • John Galloway, State Representative
  • Carol Hill-Evans, State Representative
  • Liz Hanbidge, State Representative
  • Kristine Howard, State Representative
  • Malcolm Kenyatta, State Representative
  • Patty Kim, State Representative
  • Stephen Kinsey, State Representative
  • Maureen Madden, State Representative
  • Rob Matzie, State Representative
  • Steve McCarter, State Representative
  • Jeanne McNeill, State Representative
  • Robert Merski, State Representative
  • Ed Neilson, State Representative
  • Jennifer O’Mara, State Representative
  • Eddie Day Pashinski, State Representative
  • Ben Sanchez, State Representative
  • Mike Schlossberg, State Representative
  • Melissa Shusterman, State Representative
  • Chris Snappey, State Representative
  • Jared Soloman, State Representative
  • Wendy Ullman, State Representative
  • Perry Warren, State Representative
  • Joe Webster, State Representative
  • Jake Wheatley, State Representative
  • Dan Williams, State Representative
  • Mike Zabel, State Representative
  • Phil Armstrong, Lehigh County Executive
  • Bob Elbich, Lehigh County Commissioner
  • Kevin Lott, Northampton County Councilman
  • Lamont McClure, Northampton County Executive
  • Kerry Myers, Northampton County Councilman
  • Karen Sanchez, Montgomery County Controller
  • Dewitt Walton, Allegheny County Councilman
  • John Callahan, former Bethlehem Mayor
  • Bob Donchez, Bethlehem Mayor
  • Sal Panto, Easton Mayor
  • Cindy Bass, Philadelphia City Councilwoman
  • Ricky Burgess, Pittsburgh City Councilman
  • Rafi Cave, Yeadon Council
  • Bryan Callahan, Bethlehem City Councilman
  • Darrell Clarke, Philadelphia City Council President
  • Katherine Gilmore Richardson, Philadelphia City Councilwoman
  • Derek Green, Philadelphia City Councilman
  • Tony Harvilla, Carbon Sheriff
  • Curtis Jones Jr., Philadelphia City Councilman
  • Cherelle Parker, Philadelphia City Councilwoman
  • Mark Squilla, Philadelphia City Councilman
  • Wilson Goode, Former Philadelphia Mayor
  • Michael Nutter, Former Philadelphia Mayor
  • Marian Tasco, Former Philadelphia City Councilwoman

3 Responses

  1. Biden has already beat Sanders, so endorsements this late don’t mean anything. Sanders will probably drop out after tomorrow (and he’ll be effectively out anyway, long before PA primary).

  2. It’s good smart politics for the Atty Gen and State Treasurer to endorse Joe Biden. Bernie is a heartfelt politician but a centrist state like Pa would anecdotally be more Biden territory than Sanders territory. It would seem Biden by 8% makes sense as a poll or two quoted here indicates.

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