Josh Shapiro delivers speech after winning reelection for PA governor: AP

You kept the faith, you used your power, you not only entrusted me with the opportunity to continue to serve as your governor, you did your part to help change the very trajectory of this country. You declared within the borders of this commonwealth and all across this nation that we still determine our future and no one gets away with compromising our shared values. Tonight, Pennsylvania. You declared that you could not be more ready for an end of this ruthless chaos and cruelty and this rampant corruption that raises our costs and rattles our conscience. You declared loud and clear that you will wait no longer for a new chapter that restores the voice of the people, that returns accountability. And that revitalizes the American spirit that has defined us since our founding. Yes, this is a night for relief and for resolve. Because what you did tonight fits squarely in the great legacy of this commonwealth and this nation. You know, when they finished drafting the Constitution, the framers left Independence Hall. And Ben Franklin was approached by Elizabeth Willing Powell. As he stepped out onto the cobblestone streets of Philadelphia, she looked him in the eye and asked him, Dr. Franklin, what do we have here, a monarchy or a republic? And Franklin replied with what I think may be the most prescient words ever spoken in America, a republic if you can keep it, not the powerful. Not the people used to calling the shots. You. You get the power. And that's what you did tonight, Pennsylvania. You kept this republic. You kept the flame alive. I know, I know it wasn't easy. And I'm clear-eyed that there's going to be a whole lot more work ahead. But tonight, the people of Pennsylvania are speaking with resounding force. You left no doubt. You are done with leadership that fails to make life better. Done with waiting around for results. Done with hearing politicians talk about how bad the other guys are when you're spending on groceries what you used to spend on a car payment. Done with being sold big lies from one side and a 15-point plan that never delivers from the other. That's why you elected not just me, but a whole bunch of folks who actually want to get stuff done. I know that here in Pennsylvania, you want leaders who deliver results, not just rhetoric. You want leaders who unite, not drive wedges between us. You want people who know how to build bridges and fix them too. And I know you want a government that reflects the basic desires that we all share. Good schools for our kids, safe neighborhoods, a job that pays you for your hard work, a faith, a faith that if we play it straight and treat each other right, that things should get better. Pennsylvania, if we keep working and keep fighting for what we believe in, I promise you our best days are still out there in front of us. That, that's the spirit that over the past four years, that's helped us take on the big fights and win. It's how we saw graduation rates rise and crime rates fall. It's how we created more jobs and lowered taxes. It's how we made sure that big tech doesn't get to write the rules that shape our future, but instead the folks in our local communities get the final say. It's how here, in the swingiest swing state in the whole country, With a divided legislature split almost exactly 50-50, we brought a majority of Democrats and Republicans together to make real progress and to deliver real results. And it's how we're going to do even more in the years ahead to make life even better for Pennsylvanians. Tonight, tonight, tonight the people have spoken. They want us to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour. They want us to build more housing and strengthen our infrastructure. They want us to invest in our kids, our cops, and our communities. And they want us to enshrine abortion rights for women in the Constitution of this Commonwealth. Tomorrow morning, tomorrow morning I'll be back at my desk continuing to work for the good people of Pennsylvania. The way things are starting to look tonight, I think I'm going to have plenty of GSD Democrats by my side who are ready to make more progress. And that starts, that starts with my history-making governing partner, the best lieutenant governor in the country, who also happens to be the youngest, he reminds me, Austin Davis. I'm truly proud to be on this journey with Austin. You know, you heard him speak before, we were both called to a life of service in different ways. But our combined force is making a difference for people from all different walks of life. And listen, we're still waiting on the final tallies. But because you made your voices heard, it looks like we will continue to have a strong Democratic majority in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Our history-making speaker, Joanna McClinton. And majority leader and my friend Matt Bradford. And once all the votes are counted, my hope is that Jay Costa and Vince Hughes are going to be leading a Democratic majority in the Pennsylvania Senate. And it's looking good tonight. I am hopeful that we will be sending some new leaders to Washington, too, to take on the corruption, to be a check on Donald Trump and deliver real results for Pennsylvania. Our victories tonight up and down the ballot are because we organized together, we mobilized together and we believed in one another. I was proud to lead the way along with the team at the Pennsylvania Democratic Party led by Chairman Eugene DePasquale and Executive Director Larry Halesham. They've done a hell of a job. I want to say a special thanks to our campaign team, our coordinated staff who worked tirelessly to elect me and Democrats up and down the ballot at a moment where our country needed people to get off the sidelines and get in the game and do their part. That is exactly what you did. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. And to the finest, the finest staff that has ever been assembled in the nation. Led by our Chief of Staff, Dana Fritz, I want to say thank you, thank you, thank you not just for helping me, but most importantly putting your heart and soul every day into serving the people of Pennsylvania. Our Commonwealth is better off because of your service. Now listen, I can tell you I wouldn't be here tonight without the people who are at the center of my world. The love of my life. The love of my life since the ninth grade. And Pennsylvania's First Lady, Lori Shapiro. You know, Lori and I have dedicated our lives to serving others. And along the way, we've been blessed to be reminded of why we do what we do. By our four children, who are everything to us. Sophia, Jonah, Max, and Ruben. You know, the biggest sacrifice that comes with a career in public service isn't made, and Austin knows this, it isn't made by those who get elected. It's made by Blair and Lori and Harper and Soph and Jonah and Max and Ruben. You know, you have all been through so much. It's been hard. And frankly, sometimes it's been terrifying. But you have filled this work and this life with love and laughter and joy. I love you all so much. I love you. And finally. I want to say thank you to all of you. Together, our army of nearly 16,000 volunteers knocked on 1.4 million doors, made a half a million phone calls throughout the course of this campaign. We spent real time listening to our Black and Latino communities and the Pennsylvania Democratic registered more voters on college campuses this election than ever before, ever before. And every single one of those conversations, every one of those conversations contributed to that feeling we all have here tonight. You know, these past few weeks He speaks. reminded me of when I got started on this whole journey. Knocking on 18,000 doors back home in Abington and Upper Dublin to hear from folks about what mattered most to them. I've also been reminded of some of those lessons I learned from my parents. My dad, who's here tonight, has been a pediatrician for decades. I can still remember as a kid the phone ringing in our house. Beck and Adam remember this. At all hours of the night, with a worried parent on the line, living through those terrifying moments where parents, you know this, you would trade anything just to know that your child was going to be okay. I learned what mattered more than what my dad said by what he didn't say. See, my dad listened. He offered more than a prescription. He offered a conversation. So I learned from an early age that when people are hurting, when people are counting on you for real answers, when people are tossing and turning, thinking about what the next day might bring, what matters isn't how well you talk, it's how well you listen. Over the last four years as governor, I've had the privilege of listening to you, hearing your stories, witnessing your strength. And I want to be very honest here. That's what kept me going through all these hard times. You, look, I know how adrift everything feels right now. Over the past few months, more of you than ever have come up to me with tears in your eyes, rightly worried about the nation that we love so much, feeling like it's slipping away. And like so many of you, I've been shocked and saddened by what we have seen out of our country's current leadership, The shamelessness, the self-dealing. The brutality, cruelty, it struck a nerve with so many of us because it just feels bigger than politics, bigger than policy. Every bit of it designed to compel us to turn away from one another, to see our neighbors as a little less human, to forget about who we are. But I've noticed something, Pennsylvania. Every time I set my phone down, I turn off the TV. Every time Laura and I get the privilege of traveling across this state to meet with all of you, we see a totally different picture. I see the farmers who don't have much, but still take some of their milk and potato, their fruits and vegetables to the local food bank, making sure people in their community have enough to eat. I see the school counselor who spends extra time with a child, even though they know full well there won't be any extra pay. I see the folks right here in Camp Hill. Down the road at a coffee shop run by people with disabilities, folks making a living for themselves and making everybody's day a little brighter. I see the worshipers. I see the worshipers at the Pike County Islamic Center who just days after bullets full of lead and hate were fired through their windows, opened up their doors with love, welcoming neighbors of every faith to remind us all that we have so much in common. We're living together in this moment when a small handful of powerful and influential men claim to have all the answers. They puff themselves up behind a podium and they scheme in gilded ballrooms before bedding down for the night in their bunkers. Every day, from the policies they push to the posts that they boost in our feeds, these men demonstrate that they are capable of thinking of only one thing. Well, tonight, Pennsylvania, with your vision and your votes, you showed that your belief in our future is so much bigger than those small and selfish men. Tonight, you showed that you believe what our founders did. That America is not a bounty to be plundered, but a treasure to be shared by one and all. A place that is far more valuable than the sum of its parts. And tonight, tonight you have shown me that we don't have to look far for the answers we hope for, because the answer is right here, in you. As scripture says, the path forward won't be found in the big and noisy chaos around us. Not in a windstorm, or an earthquake, or fire. No. Just like the story of the prophet Elijah, the answer comes to us in a still, small voice. Not in a shout, but in a whisper. The answer comes, the answer comes in our kindness, in our decency, in that warm cup of coffee handed across a counter, in a warm meal from a neighbor. Or the warmth of a hug when it feels like all is lost. That is the message you have all sent to me every day as your governor. In your stories, in your handshakes, and in your prayers. And tonight, well tonight you showed the whole country the undeniable strength of that kindness. You showed that together, our small voices can make a big statement about the changes we all want to see and about the results we all deserve, about the kind of place we want to live in and the kind of people that we want to be. So most of all, I want to thank all of you, the good people of Pennsylvania, because even as so many forces are trying to convince you otherwise, You continue to believe that your voice matters. I can't promise you that the road ahead will be smooth and easy, or that I won't make some mistakes along the way, but I can promise you this. If we keep that American spirit that anything is possible, if we keep the hopefulness that brought you to the polls today, if we keep faith in one another, If we stop looking for answers in the rear view mirror and keep our eyes trained on the horizon, then yes, Pennsylvania, the answer to that question from all those years ago, is we are going to keep this republic that we love. We are Pennsylvania. We are going to keep our optimism. We are going to keep our empathy that sees the dignity in every last one of our neighbors. We are going to keep our conviction that fairness and freedom will win out in the end. We are going to keep showing the world that tomorrow will be better than today. Thank you all so much for the trust you have placed in me and Austin and everyone we elected tonight. I love this Commonwealth. I love you. God bless Pennsylvania. Thank you.