Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer joined Josh Shapiro at the Morning Glory Diner in South Philadelphia to make the case for his reelection, as the Pennsylvania governor seeks a second term against Republican state Treasurer Stacy Garrity. The pairing wasn't new — Whitmer and Shapiro have shared a Pennsylvania campaign stage before, having rallied together for Kamala Harris in Montgomery County in July 2024.
Whitmer campaigned for Shapiro at the Bella Vista diner, according to WHYY. Both governors have been cast as popular Democrats navigating divided legislatures — Whitmer in Michigan, Shapiro in a Pennsylvania Capitol where Republicans hold 27 Senate seats to Democrats' 23, while Democrats cling to a three-seat majority in the state House. Whitmer, who has served as Michigan's governor since 2019, will finish her second term at the end of the year and is barred from seeking a third by term limits — fueling speculation she could eye a future presidential run, per the same report.
A Diner With a Political Edge
The Morning Glory Diner, which opened in 1997, has built a following well beyond its breakfast plates. Since 2015, it has run a rotating politically themed menu, including an item called the Antonin Scalia Is a Douche Frittata — a nod to the late justice's dissent in Obergefell v. Hodges, the ruling that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, in which Scalia called the decision a threat to American democracy.
At the diner, Whitmer argued that voters in both her state and Shapiro's share a similar outlook, saying Michiganders and Pennsylvanians are practical people who work hard and expect government to do the same. Shapiro used the appearance to link his own race to the broader midterm fight, saying he is working to help flip Congress and provide a check on Donald Trump. The midterm elections, set for November 3, 2026, will decide which party controls Congress, and Shapiro has reportedly campaigned in each of the districts of targeted congressional candidates.
Voting Rights and Election Security
Shapiro also said he was worried about efforts to undermine voting rights, adding that Pennsylvania will oppose interference in the election and protect ballot access. Pennsylvania's government coordinates with the Pennsylvania National Guard, the Pennsylvania State Police and local law enforcement on election security, according to the same WHYY report. The article also noted that the U.S. Department of Justice had planned to send 1,000 federal election monitors to select locations.
The Matchup: Shapiro-Davis vs. Garrity-Richey
Shapiro and running mate, Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, face Garrity and her running mate, Jason Richey, in November. Garrity, a retired U.S. Army Reserve colonel who deployed three times, has spent most of her career in the private sector, while Shapiro has spent most of his in public service, according to northcentralpa.com. The two candidates have staked out competing approaches to taxes, housing, energy and other issues that will shape a state budget exceeding $50 billion.
Shapiro has also pointed to Republicans in the state Senate blocking minimum-wage increases, noting Pennsylvania's minimum wage has remained $7.25 an hour for 16 years. Republicans who control the chamber have blocked several of his other priorities as well, northcentralpa.com reported.
Where the Polls Stand
Shapiro enters the fall with a comfortable cushion in available polling. A Franklin & Marshall College survey conducted June 8-14 and reported by nbcmontana.com found him leading Garrity 50% to 28% among a sample of 233 registered Democrats, 226 registered Republicans and 87 registered independents. Seventy-six percent of Democrats in that poll rated Shapiro's job performance as excellent or good, while only 11% called it poor; among Republicans, 34% said he was doing poorly, 37% called his performance fair, and 26% rated it good or excellent.
A later, late-August poll cited by northcentralpa.com found 60% of Pennsylvania voters held a favorable opinion of Shapiro and gave him a 16-point lead over Garrity among likely voters. The June survey also found broad support for several recent policy moves — 89% of voters backed legislation limiting students' cellphone access in schools, about 71% favored regulating and taxing skill games, roughly 10 points higher than in 2024, and 70% supported an independent commission to redraw the state's legislative districts.
Shapiro and Harris, both former state attorneys general, have known each other since 2006, when both were selected as Aspen Institute fellows — a connection that predates his current campaign but underscores his long run in Democratic politics, according to fox21news.com. In 2024, Shapiro headlined a rally for Harris in northeast Philadelphia as part of that campaign's Pennsylvania push, the outlet reported.
