Shapiro skates to Democratic governor’s nod in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro was projected to skate to victory in the state’s Democratic gubernatorial primary after running virtually unopposed. 

The Associated Press called the race at 8:17 p.m. ET.

Democrats coalesced around Shapiro early in the primary process, and he’s since been able to build up his campaign bank account to prepare for a contentious general election. 

Shapiro has also benefited from a messy GOP primary, with Republican campaigns and officials waging last-minute talks to coalesce around an alternative to front-runner Doug Mastriano, a state senator whose campaign is mostly centered around unfounded claims of widespread voter fraud in 2020. Those talks ultimately proved fruitless, as no major candidate withdrew from the race. 

Shapiro is running to replace his boss, term-limited Gov. Tom Wolf (D). 

The gubernatorial race has become even more important given the mushrooming debate over abortion.  

Republicans control both chambers of the state legislature in Harrisburg, and flipping the governor’s mansion would provide them with unified control, a dynamic Shapiro has hyped up amid concerns that a Republican governor could drastically roll back access to abortion.