Dem
51
GOP
49
In most states that have a secretary of state (Hawaii, Alaska, and Utah do not), it is an elected position. In 11 states, however, the SoS is appointed. Pennsylvania is among the states in the latter group; the Keystone State gives that power to its governor (most others give it to the state legislature). If Doug Mastriano (R) had been elected last November, he had promised to appoint a fire-breathing Trumpy Republican to the post, so that he and the SoS could work together to bend election outcomes to their will.
Of course, Mastriano did not win, Josh Shapiro (D) did. And yesterday, Shapiro announced his nominee for secretary of state. It's Al Schmidt... a Republican. Bet you didn't see that coming. Certainly we didn't.
However, the pick actually makes all the sense in the world. First of all, Schmidt clearly has the résumé for the job—for 10 years he served as a city commissioner in Philadelphia, which meant he was one of the people (there are three commissioners) responsible for administering elections. And in that job, he proved to be a public servant first and a Republican second; famously pushing back against Donald Trump's claims in 2020. Schmidt even testified before the 1/6 Committee.
As a tactical matter, Schmidt is more likely than a Democrat to be approved by the state Senate, where Republicans have a five-person majority. The appointment also sends the message to voters, in a purple state, that Shapiro is willing to reach across the aisle. And finally, if and when Trumpy Republicans whine and moan about election results in 2024 (and 2026, and beyond), that whining and moaning will have considerably less credibility with a Republican running the show.
Since announcing his candidacy for governor, Shapiro has demonstrated that his political skills are considerable. There's talk that he's got a future in national politics and, more and more, that talk does not seem to be misplaced. (Z)