Josh Shapiro, Candidate For Governor, To Endorse Local State Rep. For Lieutenant Governor

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro has asked Rep. Austin Davis, of McKeesport, to join him on the gubernatorial ticket when Shapiro runs for governor next year.

Sources confirmed to KDKA-TV on Tuesday that Shapiro, a Democrat, will make the announcement next month.

Davis is a 32-year-old Democrat from the Mon Valley, first elected to the State House in 2018. He is the first African-American to represent the McKeesport area in Harrisburg.

Shapiro declined to talk about the decision, but sent the following statement exclusively to KDKA-TV on Tuesday afternoon.

"Austin Davis has a strong track record of fighting for the people of western Pennsylvania, and I'm excited that he's taking steps toward running for lieutenant governor," Shapiro said.

Shapiro, from the suburbs of Philadephia, was considering other candidates for lieutenant governor, but ultimately opted for a partner from the Pittsburgh area.

There are separate primaries in the governor's and lieutenant governor's contests.

Rep. Brian Sims, from Philadelphia, announced this year his plans to seek the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor. Shortly after this story was published, Sims issued a statement to the media about his new opponent:

"I've known Austin Davis since he joined the legislature and I believe Pennsylvania Democrats are lucky to have a historically diverse field of candidates to choose from in this race. I've met with Democrats in 37 counties so far during my campaign, and what I'm hearing is voters want experienced leadership that shows up to every corner of the Commonwealth to fight for everything from voting rights and reproductive freedom, to better wages and better schools. My pledge to our voters is that I'll continue to show up, support local Democrats, and always be their partner in the fight for a better Pennsylvania."