Joint Statement from Former Governors and First Ladies of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Harrisburg, PA – On April 18th, Former Governors, First Ladies, and First Families of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania issued the following statement in support of Governor Shapiro, First Lady Shapiro, and the restoration of the Governor’s Residence after the attempted assassination and arson attack of April 13th, 2025:

"As former Governors, First Ladies, members of First Families, and occupants of the Pennsylvania Governor’s Residence, we are grateful Pennsylvanians who had the honor of living at this historic residence and understand the unique treasure the beautiful home along the Susquehanna River is to our Commonwealth.

"Each of us cherished years in the Governor’s Residence. We bonded with the property’s staff, raised our children, worked late nights, and welcomed Pennsylvanians from all walks of life for public events and tours. The Residence was a warm and welcoming home for us – a place where we felt safe and had a sense of privacy. To this day, the home carries great significance and meaning to us and we cherish the memories we made there during our time in office.

"The violent attack on the Shapiro family that occurred at the Governor’s Residence last weekend shook each of us to our cores. First, we worried for our friends Josh and Lori, and wanted to ensure their family, the state troopers who protect them, and the Residence staff who maintain the home were safe. Second, we worried about the Residence itself and the significant damage that had been done to the home we all love. And third, we were devastated to see this type of political violence. It is essential that we all work to reduce the rhetoric and name calling that has become far too prevalent in April 18th’s public discourse.

"We stand together, Republicans and Democrats alike, in our belief that Pennsylvania must be a place of tolerance and respect – the ideals that guided William Penn – and we condemn in the strongest of terms the attack on the Governor, his family, and our entire Commonwealth.

"Now, we are ready to turn our grief and our anger into action. Yesterday, we joined Josh and Lori on a video call to ask them – what can we do? We’ve chosen to band together as former occupants of the Governor’s Residence to do everything we can to restore the home to its great beauty, as quickly as possible.

"The Pennsylvania Governor’s Residence is truly the people’s house – it is unique among its counterparts across the country in that it is regularly open to the public for tours, for Trick-or-Treat during Halloween, for open houses at Christmastime, and much more. It provides great value to the people of our Commonwealth as both a place of business for Governors and their teams and for our constituents to gather.

"We stand united in support of Governor Shapiro, First Lady Shapiro, and the restoration of this beautiful home – and we are committed to quickly getting those doors back open once again for the people of Pennsylvania."

Signed,

Governor Tom Wolf and First Lady Frances Wolf

Governor Tom Corbett and First Lady Susan Corbett

Governor Ed Rendell and First Lady Midge Rendell

Governor Mark Schweiker and First Lady Kathy Schweiker

Governor Tom Ridge and First Lady Michele Ridge

First Lady Ginny Thornburgh and the Thornburgh Sons