Austin Davis

Austin Davis
Born	Template:Birth year and age
Birthplace	Pennsylvania, United States
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician
Title	Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania
Known for	Serving as Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania under Governor Josh Shapiro

Austin Davis (born 1989) is an American politician serving as the Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania in the administration of Governor Josh Shapiro. A member of the Democratic Party, Davis assumed the office in January 2023, becoming one of the youngest individuals to hold the position in the state's history. Prior to his election as lieutenant governor, Davis served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. In his role as lieutenant governor, Davis has been an active advocate for community revitalization, affordable housing, gun violence prevention, and expanding social services across Pennsylvania. He has traveled extensively throughout the commonwealth to promote the Shapiro-Davis administration's budget priorities and policy initiatives, with a particular focus on investments in underserved communities and economic opportunity for working families.

Early Life

Austin Davis was born in 1989 and grew up in Pennsylvania. He developed an interest in public service and community engagement from an early age, which would later shape his career in state politics. Davis is a product of the communities he would go on to represent, and his background in western Pennsylvania informed his policy priorities, particularly around issues of economic development, access to social services, and community investment.

Details about Davis's family background and upbringing have been reflected in his public remarks as lieutenant governor. In a 2026 opinion column published in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Davis wrote about his experiences advocating for affordable housing and referenced the early months of his tenure, describing how he engaged in direct advocacy on policy matters shortly after taking office in 2023.

Career

Pennsylvania House of Representatives

Before his election as lieutenant governor, Austin Davis served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. During his time in the state legislature, Davis represented a district in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area and focused on issues including economic development, education, and public safety. His work in the General Assembly helped raise his profile within the state Democratic Party and positioned him as a candidate for higher office.

Election as Lieutenant Governor

Davis was selected as the running mate of Josh Shapiro during the 2022 gubernatorial campaign in Pennsylvania. The Shapiro-Davis ticket won the general election, and Davis was inaugurated as Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania in January 2023. Upon taking office, Davis became one of the youngest people to serve as the state's lieutenant governor.

Tenure as Lieutenant Governor

Affordable Housing

Housing affordability has been a central policy focus for Davis during his time as lieutenant governor. In a February 2026 opinion column in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Davis described his early efforts in the role, recounting that in the spring and summer of 2023 — just months into his tenure — he participated in advocacy efforts related to housing policy. Davis wrote about making "a final, impassioned plea" on behalf of housing investments, underscoring the administration's commitment to helping Pennsylvanians afford to live in the state. In the column, Davis argued that Governor Shapiro's policies were making tangible progress in addressing housing costs for residents across the commonwealth.

The Shapiro-Davis administration has proposed budget measures aimed at increasing housing availability and affordability, with Davis serving as a visible spokesperson for these initiatives during visits to communities throughout Pennsylvania.

Gun Violence Prevention

Davis has played a prominent role in the administration's gun violence prevention efforts. In December 2025, Davis announced nearly $3 million in funding for the Hospital-based Violence Intervention Program (HVIP) during an event in Philadelphia. The HVIP program is designed to intervene with victims of gun violence while they are receiving medical treatment, connecting them with services intended to reduce the likelihood of re-injury or retaliation. Davis described the program as "one of the most powerful tools in combatting gun violence" and highlighted the Shapiro-Davis administration's commitment to funding evidence-based violence prevention strategies.

The HVIP funding announcement was part of a broader portfolio of public safety initiatives advanced by the administration, with Davis frequently serving as the administration's representative at events related to community safety and violence reduction.

Community Revitalization

Community revitalization has been another major area of focus for Davis. In January 2026, Davis visited Allentown, Pennsylvania, to highlight the administration's support for projects in the Lehigh Valley designed to revitalize communities and support young people and low-income families. During the event, Davis emphasized the administration's investment in programs that provide direct assistance to communities in need and create pathways to economic opportunity.

Davis also visited Ebensburg, Pennsylvania, to promote a proposed $25 million investment included in the governor's budget proposal. During the visit, Davis framed the investment as part of the administration's broader strategy to grow Pennsylvania's economy, invest in communities, and create economic opportunity for all residents of the commonwealth.

Budget Advocacy

Davis has been an active participant in promoting the Shapiro-Davis administration's annual budget proposals. Following Governor Shapiro's budget address in early February 2026, Davis traveled to Franklin County, visiting Chambersburg to showcase how the new budget proposal's investments would benefit local communities. The visit was part of a broader statewide tour in which Davis highlighted specific budget line items and their anticipated impact on different regions of Pennsylvania.

In mid-February 2026, Davis visited United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania in Pittsburgh to advocate for a proposed increase in funding for PA 211, a statewide help line that connects residents with social services and community resources. During the event, Davis joined state and local leaders to highlight the importance of the 211 system and the administration's proposed budget increase for the program. According to reporting by TribLIVE.com, the event featured the story of Erica Evans, a single mother who had previously lost her job as an at-home caregiver and experienced homelessness before receiving assistance. Davis used the event to argue for expanded funding to ensure that more Pennsylvanians in crisis could access the help they need through the 211 system.

Political Engagement

In addition to his policy work, Davis has remained active in Democratic Party politics. In February 2026, Davis attended a petition party at Swarthmore Borough Hall in Delaware County, where he expressed his support for U.S. Representative Mary Gay Scanlon, a Democrat representing Pennsylvania's 5th congressional district. The event, reported by the Delco Times, demonstrated Davis's continued engagement with the party's electoral activities and his willingness to lend his support to fellow Democrats at the federal level.

Statewide Travel and Outreach

A defining characteristic of Davis's tenure as lieutenant governor has been his extensive travel across Pennsylvania to promote the administration's agenda. His visits have spanned a wide geographic range, including stops in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Chambersburg (Franklin County), Ebensburg (Cambria County), Allentown (Lehigh County), and Swarthmore (Delaware County), among other locations. These visits have typically involved events at community organizations, local government facilities, and nonprofit institutions, where Davis has met with local leaders and residents to discuss the impact of state-level investments and policies.

Davis's travel schedule reflects a deliberate effort to maintain visibility across Pennsylvania's diverse regions, including rural, suburban, and urban communities. His appearances have frequently focused on highlighting specific budget proposals and their anticipated local impact, serving as both a policy advocate and a representative of the governor's office in communities throughout the state.

Personal Life

Austin Davis is from western Pennsylvania and has maintained close ties to the Pittsburgh region throughout his political career. His public statements and op-eds have frequently referenced his personal connection to the communities he serves. In his February 2026 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette column on housing affordability, Davis wrote from a personal perspective about his commitment to ensuring that Pennsylvanians can afford to live in the state, reflecting his broader concern with economic issues affecting working families.

Davis has been described as one of the younger members of the Pennsylvania executive leadership, having been born in 1989 and assuming the office of lieutenant governor in his early thirties.

Policy Positions

Davis's policy priorities as lieutenant governor have encompassed several major areas:

• Housing affordability: Davis has advocated for state-level investments aimed at reducing housing costs and increasing availability, describing the issue as central to the Shapiro-Davis administration's agenda.
• Gun violence prevention: Through his promotion of the HVIP program and other initiatives, Davis has championed evidence-based approaches to reducing gun violence, particularly in urban communities.
• Social services expansion: Davis has advocated for increased funding for programs such as PA 211, which connects residents with essential services during times of crisis.
• Community revitalization: Davis has promoted investments in community development projects, particularly those serving young people, low-income families, and underserved regions of the commonwealth.
• Economic development: Davis has framed the administration's budget proposals as tools for growing Pennsylvania's economy and creating opportunities for all residents.