Governor Josh Shapiro Outperforms Joe Biden in New Poll

Left: Pennsylvania Josh Shapiro in the February 2024 issue of Philadelphia magazine, accompanied by the headline “Shapiro for President?” Right: Joe Biden on July 17th as new polling data showed Josh Shapiro outperforming Joe Biden for president. (Getty Images)

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Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro Outperforms President Joe Biden In New Poll

In the February issue of Philly Mag, I interviewed Pennsylvania Josh Shapiro. The headline for that story, as you can see above, was “Shapiro for President?” That headline was based on the chatter of political insiders who saw potential in Shapiro to become a future presidential candidate. The first Jewish president of the United States.

Four months later, and with the tumultuous turns that the 2024 presidential campaign has taken, the “Josh Shapiro for President” idea is being considered a bit more seriously — and with some unexpected time sensitivity.

From July 5th through July 12th, the Washington D.C.-based group BlueLabs Analytics conducted the poll: Battleground Test of Candidates. For the poll, the group spoke with 15,000 people in seven battleground states, including Pennsylvania, and presented them with a variety of potential candidates for the Democratic nominee for president. Those options included Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, Joe Biden, and others.

Of all the choices, four candidates outperformed Joe Biden by about five points. Those four candidates: Josh Shapiro, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, Maryland Governor Wes Moore, and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Now, you may be thinking, of course Shapiro performed well in Pennsylvania, and he did. But the polling group says he and the three other top candidates performed well in other battleground states, too.

Vice President Kamala Harris was also part of the poll. She did better than her boss but not as well as Shapiro. What the pollsters concluded: “Voters are looking for a fresh face. Those more closely tied to the current administration perform relatively worse than other tested candidates.”

You can read the full results of the new poll here.

Tragedy In Rittenhouse

On Wednesday night around 7 p.m., police say a speeding driver hit and killed a bicyclist near 18th and Spruce streets before also hitting two parked cars. The car’s driver has not been identified. But the woman tragically killed in the bike accident was Barbara Friedes, a pediatric oncologist at CHOP. Not that any life is inherently more valuable than others, but someone who dedicates their life to helping kids with cancer … man. Somebody light a candle.

Things You Don’t Expect from Your Fancy New Apartment…

Having the glass windows fall out and shatter on the ground below. Can somebody say lawsuit?

By the Numbers

0: Restaurants Michael Schulson plans to open in Ocean Casino Resort. Earlier this year, we announced that he was opening two restaurants at the casino. But that deal has fallen through.

$125: What some people are spending on their weddings these days.

5.8 percent: Forecasted 30-year population decline in rural counties in Pennsylvania. And now analysts are saying the decline is actually happening faster than that. Me? I’d happily take a log cabin with a view, a pond, and room for some chickens and goats. Anybody selling? Let me know.

Local Talent

Philadelphia son Kevin Bacon is out with a new movie in which he returns to the horror genre. (Spoiler alert: He was killed in the original Friday the 13th slasher flick.) In MaXXXine, Bacon plays a private investigator who crosses paths with a former adult film star who suddenly has a bunch of dead bodies popping up around her. If you were a fan of the horror movies Pearl and X, you’ll probably love MaXXXine. It’s the third film in Ti West’s X horror trilogy.