Conventional wisdom among political consultants says that a presidential candidate’s choice of a running mate has a marginal impact on the electoral map. But if Kamala Harris were to choose Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, she’d not only get a popular governor in a battleground state, but a polished political veteran with the policy chops to appeal to the narrow segment of voters who will likely decide this election.

Of all the candidates on Harris’ short list – Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz – Shapiro comes from the largest state and one that could tip the election. Even Republicans view Shapiro as a formidable pick. As Pennsylvania attorney general in 2020, he won every lawsuit brought by former President Donald Trump’s campaign over the state’s disputed ballots. In 2022, he defeated Trump-endorsed Republican Doug Mastriano with more votes than any candidate in state history to become governor.

Shapiro, 51, can appeal to the middle with his record as a moderate governor who is well regarded by both independent voters and working-class Democrats who might otherwise consider voting for Trump. He points out that for Democrats to succeed as he has, they need “to listen and show compassion” and to respect people in areas that have traditionally elected Republicans.

He doesn’t just believe this; he practices it. His first appointment as governor was Republican Al Schmidt as secretary of state. He told podcaster Kara Swisher he could show that “running an election should be a non-partisan exercise.”

Shapiro describes his tenure with three letters: GSD, short for “get stuff done.” He’s had an impressive run over his two decades in office – as a state legislator, county commissioner, attorney general and governor.

Pennsylvania has a divided state legislature, with Republicans controlling the Senate and Democrats leading the House. Yet Shapiro has managed to push through a progressive agenda that includes expanding voting access, more than $1.5 billion in additional funding for public schools, lower taxes for seniors and universal school breakfasts.

He’s also been a strong executive. When the I-95 bridge collapsed six months after he was elected governor, he marshaled the resources that allowed it to reopen 12 days later. And as attorney general, he won international acclaim for a grand jury investigation and subsequent pursuit of sweeping allegations of sexual abuse of minors and the coverup within the Catholic Church in Pennsylvania.

But the election is less than 100 days away and that doesn’t leave much time for Harris to introduce a running mate to the nation and explain Shapiro’s record as a first-term governor or a two-term attorney general. It is enough time, however, for Republicans to distort his record, and, as political consultants know, if you’re explaining, you’re losing.

Shapiro, who is Jewish, has faced strong criticism for his statements about the Hamas-Israeli war. Attacks on his position have come from the right and the left.

Shapiro was out front correctly criticizing the anti-Semitism from the left amid the war. He was critical of the University of Pennsylvania’s lack of action against pro-Palestinian protests on campus last spring. But, as the death toll in Gaza has soared, he has drawn pro-Palestinian protesters at nearly all his campaign appearances and, although he has gotten better, he has often been slow to acknowledge attacks on pro-Palestinian activists.

Shapiro has also drawn criticism for his support of school vouchers – an idea he endorsed while running for governor. The concept of using public funds to send students in struggling public schools to private schools is wildly popular among Republicans.

Unlike absolutists on the left who oppose any public funding going to private schools, Shapiro is open to compromise on the issue. It stems in part from the fact that he is a product of private schools – having attended a private Jewish school while growing up. His children also attend private schools.

He first backed a Republican plan to invest $100 million in school vouchers but vetoed it last year under pressure from Democrats. He settled on a compromise proposal of $150 million for tax credit scholarships. Shapiro argued that rather than use the program to privatize all education, as Republicans want, vouchers should be used to give students more options – for tutoring, books, computers, or attending private schools. “If you’re a poor kid or you’re from a poor family in a struggling school district, we should be adding opportunity,” he explains.

It’s a reasonable middle ground worthy of debate. But last week, more than two dozen public education advocacy groups from across the country published a letter urging Harris to reject Shapiro because of his position on the issue. More than 50 Pennsylvania labor leaders, including two of the state’s largest teachers’ unions, came out with a letter of support for Shapiro, expressing gratitude for his record of support for education.

Many Americans value the willingness to compromise, and this should not be a reason to reject Shapiro as a vice presidential nominee. It should elevate him. His style of leadership has earned bipartisan, popular support. That makes him a natural choice to be Harris’ running mate for a ticket that promises to get stuff done.