Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro keeps the door open to being Kamala Harris' VP pick

PITTSBURGH — Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro on Monday did not deny that he has spoken with Vice President Kamala Harris about serving as her running mate if she secures the Democratic nomination for president. He also did not say he would turn down the role if she offered it to him.

Shapiro said Harris now has an "important decision" to make, and that is "who to run with, who should be her running mate."

"It's a decision she needs to make, who she wants to govern with, who she wants to campaign with, and who can be there to serve alongside her," he said, calling it a "deeply personal decision."

"She will make that decision when she is ready," he added. "And I have all the confidence in the world that she will make that decision along with many others in the best interest of the American people."

Shapiro spoke at a news conference here to announce nearly $400 million in Environmental Protection Agency grants to the area, but he was peppered with questions about potentially serving as Harris' vice president.

Asked by NBC News if he and Harris discussed the possibility of him serving as her running mate during a Sunday conversation the two had, Shapiro said the two leaders talked over how to win in November.

"Our conversation was all about how we beat Donald Trump and protect our freedoms here in this commonwealth," Shapiro said.

Pressed again, Shapiro reiterated his answer.

"We spoke only about defeating Donald Trump and our shared commitment to that," he said in response to a question from NBC News. "I immediately gave her my endorsement and said I would do everything in my power to support her here in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania."

Since Biden's announcement Sunday that he was dropping out of the 2024 presidential