Who Is Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s Wife? All About Lori Shapiro

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has been married to his wife, Lori Shapiro, since 1997

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has had his wife, Lori Shapiro, by his side from the time he was a teenager to his move to the Governor's Residence.

The governor and his first lady have been married since 1997 and share four children — Sophia, Jonah, Max and Reuben — together. The two have been dating since they were in ninth grade, with Lori supporting Josh’s political pursuits throughout his career.

Lori has also had a career in government, working in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy before moving to Pennsylvania with her husband and family. She has served as the first lady of Pennsylvania since 2023.

So who is Josh Shapiro’s wife? Here’s everything to know about Lori Shapiro and her relationship to the politician.

She grew up in Pennsylvania

Lori is a native Pennsylvanian, having grown up in Bucks County where she ice skated on Lake Afton and rode bikes with her siblings to the local library, per PennLive. She lived in Newtown, Penn., as a teenager where she worked at a pizza parlor and attended Akiba Hebrew Academy.

While she was in high school, Lori also worked at Sesame Place, starting out as the food department’s supervisor and later progressing to manager, per The Philadelphia Inquirer. After graduating, Lori attended Colgate University in New York.

Lori had a career in politics

Lori started a career at an information technology consulting firm while simultaneously pursuing her master’s in science, technology and public policy from George Washington University.

After earning her degree, Lori pivoted to a career in politics, staying in Washington D.C. to work in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy during the Clinton administration, per her bio.

Lori and Josh met in high school

Josh and Lori met when they were in ninth grade attending the same high school. They went on their first date at Goodnoe’s, an ice cream parlor in Newtown, Josh shared in one of his campaign videos from 2022.

They dated throughout high school before going to separate colleges, with Josh attending the University of Rochester in New York. Though they broke up while in college, the two reunited after graduation when they were both working in Washington, D.C., according to the Inquirer.

They got married in 1997

Josh proposed to Lori in 1996. He wrote on Facebook in February 2020 that for their first Valentine’s Day after getting engaged, he wanted to treat Lori to something “special,” so he took her to her “favorite restaurant” and to see Les Miserables — before realizing he made a crucial mistake.

“It was the perfect Valentine’s Day, or so I thought,” he wrote. “Half way through the show, I realized that I screwed up and took her out to celebrate on February 13th — the day before Valentine’s Day! Ever since then, Lori and I have celebrated our Valentine’s Day on February 13th.”

The two later got married on May 25, 1997, at a wedding hall in Bucks County. “We’ve been blessed with 4 children, amazing memories and so many smiles along this journey. I love you, Lor!” Josh wrote on Facebook for their 23rd wedding anniversary in 2020.

They share four children

After Lori and Josh had their first child, they moved back to Pennsylvania. The couple have raised their four children, Sophia, Jonah, Max and Reuben, in the Jewish faith.

Since his election, Josh’s children have joined him at volunteering events such as making blankets for the Harrisburg community and packing food donation boxes in Pittsburgh.

She helped campaign alongside her husband

Lori supported her husband during his 2022 gubernatorial campaign, joining him on the road and traveling to different towns in Pennsylvania. She was by his side after he was elected as governor in November 2022, and has joined him at appearances since.

The two met with President Joe Biden in March 2023 when he arrived in Philadelphia to discuss the 2024 federal budget and attended an April 2024 state dinner for Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.