Shapiro seeks four House seats to check Trump

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro is campaigning to win four congressional seats to establish a legislative check on President Donald Trump. Speaking on the CBS News program Face the Nation on November 1, 2026, Shapiro argued that his state is positioned to flip multiple House districts. He stated that at least three of the competitive races in the state appear to be ahead for Democratic challengers.

The governor has been on a ten-day bus tour across the Commonwealth to rally support for these candidates. He described his political brand as a Get Stuff Done Democrat, emphasizing local delivery over national opposition. Shapiro noted that he is working to elect challengers who focus on health care access and Washington accountability. He said these candidates are running on a platform of common sense rather than simple opposition to the White House.

Shapiro also addressed a federal claim regarding voter eligibility. Earlier in 2026, the Department of Homeland Security stated that as many as 14,576 non-citizens might be registered to vote in Pennsylvania. The governor said his administration immediately requested specific data to verify these claims. He noted that the Trump administration provided a press release but did not share the underlying evidence or names of the individuals in question.

Shapiro appointed Republican Al Schmidt as Secretary of State in 2023 to administer elections. He said Schmidt has maintained strict guardrails to ensure voter rolls contain only legal and eligible voters. The governor added that his office is prepared to act immediately if specific evidence of ineligible voters is provided. He contrasted the federal approach with his state's process, which he said has removed corruption from the voting process.

The governor also discussed the potential for legal challenges to the election results. He recalled the 2020 election, when the Trump administration filed 43 lawsuits in Pennsylvania to contest the vote count. Shapiro said his office won all 43 cases. He mentioned that the state has formed a task force to prepare for similar litigation in 2026. He also referenced a recent executive order from the president regarding mail-in ballots, which Shapiro challenged in court and won.

Shapiro said he is focused on winning a trifecta in Harrisburg, a political control of the governor's office and both legislative chambers that has not occurred in the state since 1992. He noted that some state senate districts are gerrymandered but expressed hope for success. He said his primary goal is to remove the gavel from House Speaker Mike Johnson if Republicans lose their majority in Congress.

When asked about future presidential ambitions, Shapiro said he is focused solely on the midterms. He mentioned that he continues to campaign in areas where Trump won by large margins in the previous election. He said he treats every race as a close competition and does not take any support for granted. He plans to continue his tour to ensure voters understand the stakes of the upcoming election.

The governor said he expects the election administration to face scrutiny from the federal government. He stated that the state police do not conduct immigration enforcement work for the Department of Homeland Security. He referenced his past efforts to stop the construction of two federal detention centers in Berks and Schuylkill counties. He said the state won those disputes and drove the projects out of Pennsylvania.