Hello, I'm Zeke and welcome to The Zekely Podcast. Let's talk Pennsylvania The guest I have today lives in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania and has ascended to the second highest political office in the Commonwealth He's a family man a leader in the Democratic Party and continues to help Josh Shapiro get shit done as governor Thank you so much for being here lieutenant governor Austin Davis

I’m Zeke, a doctor, a Pennsylvanian and unapologetic supporter of Democratic values. You might have seen me on social media working my ass off for Democrats and meeting some pretty amazing people along the way - like President Barack Obama and Governor Josh Shapiro.

For years, I’ve knocked thousands of doors all over Pennsylvania and poured my heart and soul into supporting candidates and causes that make a difference—from local school board races to national elections. The personal is political, and I take every election in Pennsylvania personally.

Where the mainstream media has failed you, I will give you truth and independence. You’ll hear from Democratic leaders, candidates, and change-makers who are working to improve the health of the Commonwealth, and it won’t be boring as hell.

No matter where you are, I’ll meet you with hope and a plan to make your community better one day at a time. Welcome to the Zekely Podcast. Let’s talk Pennsylvania.

Thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited to be with you today.

Oh man, if you would have told me five years ago that I'd have the LG, the VP, the second in command of Pennsylvania on my podcast, I would have said, you're crazy.

yeah, here we are. And I'm just, it's such an honor to have you here. And I truly appreciate your time.

No, thank you. You know, I think if you would have told me seven years ago that I was going to be the lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania, I probably don't know that I would have believed you. But life leads us all to crazy and interesting places.

Yeah.

Thank goodness for that. We're gonna learn all about you. Have some fun and play some games. You ready?

Ready.

All right, well, Austin, at the age of 16,

living in McKeesport, there was a shooting in your neighborhood, and that sparked your desire to work with the mayor to start a youth gun violence prevention program at your high school. So what would you say to a 16-year-old in Pennsylvania today to let them know what you're doing to keep their community safe from gun violence?

You know, I would tell them that every day that I get up and go to work as Lieutenant Governor, my number one focus is making sure that Pennsylvania's communities are safe. And some of the things that we've done in our time in office is we've reestablished the Office of Gun Violence Prevention to help coordinate our efforts to make sure we're rooting out gun violence wherever it exists in our Commonwealth. We're also working to create ladders of opportunity for every young person

to succeed, to make sure that they don't pick up a gun. We know that the best way to take a gun out of somebody's hand is to put a paycheck in it, which is why Governor Shapiro and I have made historic investments in education here in

And so as you talked about my personal journey, this is something that's deeply personal to me. And I would say to that young person that regardless of your age, you

have the ability to make an enormous change in your community, in our Commonwealth, and in this country. So you may not be able to vote yet. You may not be able to participate in the political process yet. But that doesn't mean you don't have a voice, and that voice shouldn't be heard and respected.

I appreciate everything that you're doing as LG to decrease the gun violence epidemic in this country just in our own state. And the fact that you won a $4 million grant from the US Department of Justice to expand hospital-based violence intervention programs, I as a doctor, that means a lot. So thank you so much for what you're doing. And I know in the next four years, you're going to do a lot more.

Austin, you are the first black lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania and the youngest person to be elected as lieutenant governor

the United States. I mean, I'm talking to such an amazing part of Pennsylvania's history right now, and I just think it's phenomenal. So how do you sit with those amazing accomplishments?

You know, so I'm mindful of the fact that while I have this awesome opportunity and really this responsibility, it's not an opportunity that I necessarily paid for. It was paid for by the blood, sweat and tears of folks who've come before me. People like ⁓ Robert Nixon Jr., the first black chief justice of the Supreme Court here in Pennsylvania, to Kay Leroy Ervis, our first black speaker of the House here. ⁓ So many folks.

worked and labored to make sure that someone like an Austin Davis could exist and could have the opportunity to serve, that I have the responsibility that while I may be the first to make sure that I'm not the last and that we're creating ladders of opportunity for folks to raise their voices, to serve in positions of leadership, to have a seat at the table where folks who may not have looked like them have served. When I first ran

Well, I'm proud to have cast my vote for you. And I definitely know you've made PA proud. So thank you for all your accomplishments.

All right, Austin We're to play our first game called the Biggest Fanatic. OK, now your wife, Blayre works for the Steelers, correct?

Yes, she works for the Steelers. Got my Steelers shirt on.

Okay,

you got your Steelers shirt on right now. Okay, so my wife is a huge baseball fan, like die hard baseball fan, and she's going to be embarrassed, but she's a big Atlanta Braves fan. Okay, don't judge her too much. It goes back to her childhood when she was watching TBS and Ted Turner owned the Braves. So don't judge her. Okay. But I wanted to ask a few questions to see which one of our wives is the biggest sports fan. Okay. So does your wife's childhood bedroom have Steelers wallpaper?

Heh.

Okay.

a Steeler's lamp or phone and Steeler's bedsheets.

No, she had none of those things.

No.

Okay, well, my wife is a bigger sports fan then when it comes to that, because she had all of those things but Braves. Okay, and it's still there in memoriam. Okay, when I go back and visit her house in Albany, New York, it's still there. Okay. All right, here's a couple more. Yeah, it's something, I'll tell you what. All here's a couple more. Did your wife try and go to college in Pittsburgh to be close to the Steelers?

That's pretty awesome.

Yes, she went to the she went to California University of Pennsylvania, which is based right here in Western Pennsylvania. So yeah.

Okay,

fine. All right. So my wife tried to go to Emory to be near the Atlanta Braves. Didn't quite work out in my favor, actually. She went to the University of Maryland, which was closer to me. But yeah, she did try. So your wife got her on that one. All right, how about this? Does your wife own a Steeler's dress?

She owns a Steelers, yes, she does have a Steelers dress and she has a Steelers suit.

Okay.

wow. Okay. So I feel like we're equivocal because yes, my wife does have an Atlanta Braves dress. Okay, but here's the big one. Okay. Did you ask your wife to marry you at Steelers Stadium during a game?

No, I did not.

Okay, so I had to fly my wife down to Atlanta to ask her to marry me at a Braves game and luckily the Braves won that game. Okay, so that was pretty monumental. so exactly. ⁓ 100%. I feel like our wives are pretty close on the sports ⁓ mania, but yeah, I just had to know what level your wife was on the sports.

They won because you asked her to marry you. They knew that that was gonna happen.

Well, we got to make sure that we get them together so they could probably they could they could sport out together.

Yes.

Austin, why are you a Democrat and why do you choose to represent the Democratic Party?

You know, I grew up in southwestern Pennsylvania, right outside of Pittsburgh and a working class family and a working class community. I'm the proud son of a union bus driver and a hairdresser. My dad literally is driving a Pittsburgh regional transit bus today to help folks get where they need to go. And the Democratic Party has always been.

the party that has stood up for working class people And so I can tell you, I don't think I would be where I am today if it wasn't for not just the Democratic Party, but for the values that Democrats fight for every single day. Democrats fought for Pell grants. I got Pell grants to go to college and to become

a first generation college graduate. It was Democrats that fought for civil rights and the Voting Rights Act to make sure that people who looked like me had the ability to participate in our process and ⁓ to not just vote, but could run for office and serve as a Lieutenant Governor in Pennsylvania, the second highest person in this Commonwealth. And so I think Democrats have been fighting for working class people.

for longer than I've been alive. And as a working class person, their views and the issues that they fought for have centered me and my family and my life, which is encouraged me to ⁓ step up to serve and to want to make sure that I'm fighting for those values every single day to make sure that working families have opportunities to succeed here in Pennsylvania.

I appreciate that we share the same values and ideals that are within the Democratic platform. And I have to say, I sleep a lot better at night knowing that you are in Harrisburg working with the governor to make the Commonwealth a better place. So thank you very much for being a Democrat and representing the Democratic party the right way.

Austin, what has been your proudest accomplishment so far as Lieutenant Governor?

I've got a lot of really proud accomplishments. ⁓ So one was reestablishing the Office of Gun Violence Prevention. That was a huge deal to make sure that we're really coordinating all of our efforts to make sure that we're taking on the issue of gun violence here in Pennsylvania. Another big accomplishment was establishing the BOOST grant program. It was the building opportunity throughout a school time.

which was a grant program that funds after school programs here in the Commonwealth. It was the first time ever that the Commonwealth directly funded after school programs here in Pennsylvania. We seeded that grant program with eleven and a half million dollars. And to give you an example of how popular that program is, we got sixty million dollars in requests for that eleven and a half million dollars. So we know there's a need out

All of those things have been, I think, great accomplishments and real tangible examples of how we're improving the lives of everyday Pennsylvanians in the Lieutenant Governor's Office directly.

I knew you weren't gonna only tell me one. I I asked for one, but I knew there wasn't gonna be one, because you've just gotten so much stuff done. And honestly, I'm looking forward to the next four years. I really am, because I'm sure there's so much that you would like to do

in Pennsylvania. and I'm just grateful for what you have done so far as Lieutenant Governor.

Austin, what's the most common question you've been asked by citizens of PA since becoming lieutenant governor, written or in person? I'm just curious.

You know, it's interesting when I when I travel to commonwealth, I don't actually get a lot of questions. I actually end up doing a lot of listening. A lot of people want to share what are their concerns? What are their hopes? What are their fears? And so they're never it's not much it's not really formed in the sense of a question per se. So a perfect example, I was in Fayette County this morning.

doing a roundtable on energy and utility costs. And I heard directly from a lot of folks who were excited that I had visited a community where they don't often get to see high ranking elected officials and that I was there to listen to their concerns about rising energy costs and to talk about what we were doing to combat those costs. And so I think people.

underestimate the power of listening and showing up. And I think that's what the governor and I try to do every day that we go to work is to show up in communities to listen and then try to respond to what are their biggest concerns. And I think, you know, we've done that and not just blue cities like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, but we've done it and

deep red communities like Fayette County and Luzerne County where I was at last week. We have heard consistently that Pennsylvanians want us to take off our red jerseys and our blue jerseys and to put on the Pennsylvania jersey. And that's what we've tried to do every day that we've gone to work to serve you all as your governor and lieutenant governor.

I just really appreciate that you highlight the listening to people because as a physician, can tell you at work patients or their family members, when they're going through some of the most vulnerable periods of their lives, they don't want to be

at. They want to be listened to. And I'm never going to apologize for this, but I want my

to act the exact same way. So I'm glad that you're taking those values around Pennsylvania and listening to people.

and not talking at them. That's the kind of steward that we need in political office.

Hey, thank you so much for listening to this episode of The Zekely Podcast. And if you're enjoying yourself, please take a moment to rate my Podcast. Five stars would be great and leave a comment as well. And if you're watching this on YouTube, please hit follow. OK, back to the show.

Austin, as lieutenant governor, you preside over the Pennsylvania Senate. You're the president. How painful is it to watch bills that could be helping millions of Pennsylvanians linger and die in the Republican controlled Senate?

Heh.

⁓ It is very painful. You know, the governor and I have been fighting for a number of years on issues like raising the minimum wage

to expand affordable housing here in Pennsylvania to make sure that.

owning a home is in reach for every Pennsylvanian who wants to do it, to making sure that we're passing protections for our LGBTQ brothers and sisters, to funding mass transit like SEPTA and PRT all across the Commonwealth, but there's also mass transit in every one of Pennsylvania's 67 counties. ⁓ It is really hard ⁓ to stand there every day in and day out. ⁓ And just for folks to not even have the debate on these issues,

that are so critical to the lives of everyday Pennsylvanians. These bills don't even get brought to the floor. And that's why I'm so excited that this year we have a real opportunity this November for the first time, I think in my lifetime, to flip the Pennsylvania State Senate and get a trifecta in Harrisburg for Democrats where Democrats will control the governor's.

Yes.

office, the House of Representatives and the Pennsylvania Senate. And we can move forward on all the things that I laid out from raising minimum wage, enshrining protections for LGBTQ brothers and sisters, to holding companies that are raising our electric bills accountable and making sure that we are truly being warriors for consumers here in Pennsylvania, to producing more energy while protecting our environment to help bring down costs.

And so I think this is a tremendous opportunity and I don't want folks to sleep on the opportunity that we have. Pennsylvania is truly ground zero.

in this midterm. We have the opportunity to flip four congressional seats and to finally put a check on Donald Trump's chaos that we see coming out of Washington, D.C. to expanding the majority in the state house to flipping the state Senate. Look, over the last four years, we've made historic investments in public education. We have gotten universal free breakfast for all of Pennsylvania's

students. We have done so many great things, but we've done all that with a one seat majority in the House of Representatives. Imagine what we could do with an expanded majority in a Pennsylvania State Senate. We could

the trajectory this Commonwealth is on for the next 25 years. And I think that's a real opportunity that I hope folks get out there and get organized and mobilize around. I know the governor and I are going to work our asses off to make sure that not only we get

Yeah.

elected, but we make sure that we get Democrats across the finish line in all those areas.

inject it straight into my veins, Austin. mean, anybody who listens to my show watches it. I want the trifecta so damn badly, I can taste it. The last time Pennsylvania had a trifecta, I was 12 years old. I got some grays now. Okay, you can see them. I'm 42 years old, no longer. We need to get this

and get more shit done in Pennsylvania.

as Lieutenant Governor, you chair the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons, where you review criminal cases to determine whether a pardon or commutation should be recommended to the governor for approval or denial. And I just think that's a very powerful position. So is there a case you can speak to that showcases the power of pardoning someone?

know, I don't have a particular case that I would highlight. I would say they all are unique in their own individual right. There is always a story and a life behind each case and ⁓ usually a redemption story of somebody who has worked really hard to not be granted a second chance, but to earn a second

turn their life around.

So they're not judged on their worst day. And I have found the experience to be quite frankly, humbling.

in a lot of ways to see how people can truly transform and change and contribute to society in a positive way. And I've also found it very challenging. It's part of probably one of the more challenging things that I have to do in my role as lieutenant governor. So I don't have a particular case, but I can tell you, you know, we spend a lot of time combing through every pardons case and commutation case to really unpack the story behind

the person and how they've changed their life, also weighing that against what their crime was and how all of that balances out. I think we've done a really good job of improving the process and ⁓ helping Pennsylvanians who've worked hard to turn their lives around get second chances. And so it is something that I hold deeply personal and it's a heavy responsibility that I carry.

I just think it's great because I think in general, the Republican platform skews to not accepting or believing in rehabilitation.

I really appreciate you bring those values to that position.

Austin, what would you say to someone who is disaffected with democracy?

Yeah, look, I would say if somebody is disaffected, I understand. I get it. It feels like the system isn't working the way that it should. But I would say that democracy is a participatory sport. It gets better when people participate in the process.

All politics is local. I understand right now everybody kind of focuses on what's happening in Washington, D.C. But the folks who are in your communities, your local city councilman, your mayor, your state representative, your state senator, they're going to have ⁓ a massive impact in your day to day life from the schools that your children attend to making sure the roads that you ride on are safe, to making sure that you have the ability to breathe clean air and drink clean water.

And so I would encourage folks to step back from kind of the national noise a little bit and to look more local and to engage in the process at a local level, because ultimately that's how you change politics. You know, I got started as a young person who wanted to make a difference in my neighborhood in McKeesport,

wanted to take on gun violence and then ran for state representative because I wanted to be a voice for a community that felt like it had not had a voice for a long time. And so I think, know, if you're bringing those values that, you know, and you're thinking about it from a local perspective, I think you'll find it to be much more rewarding and you'll be able to see the impact of your efforts more tangibly.

I agree with you. mean, in a democracy, and I hope we live in one for a very long time, the buck has always and will always stop at the voter. And I don't ever want people to give up that power that they have and that we still have very much so in Pennsylvania.

Absolutely. work, you know, look, I work for 13 million Pennsylvanians and they have responsibility to judge me on my work, but also to hold me accountable. And I think every elected official should serve with that spirit. But when people don't participate, to your point, they're giving away their power.

right, Austin

more game.

okay. So in honor of the primaries coming up this May 19th We are going to play it's gonna be May. Okay, so we're channel our Justin Timberlake Okay, so if this applies to you, I want you to say it's gonna be May. Okay, can you do that for

Okay, and by the and by the way, just a little tidbit here

got it.

⁓ That song was written by a man living in Sweden and that is actually how they pronounce me and I know that because I've been watching Love is Blind Sweden so I hear it all the time. Okay. All right, so who Who's going to be supporting Democratic candidates running for the state house to expand our majority?

It's gonna be me.

Okay, you gotta stretch out that me a little bit, okay?

Who's gonna be supporting,

It's gonna be me.

there you go, now we got it. Who's going to be supporting Democratic candidates running for the state Senate to flip it blue this year?

It's gonna be me.

That's right. Justin Timberlake would be proud. Okay. Who's going to be supporting Democratic candidates running for Congress to take back control and bring some sanity to Washington, D.C.?

It's definitely gonna be me.

It's gonna be me and Josh Shapiro.

It's

gonna be me. And Josh Shapiro, very good, absolutely. And I'm gonna be doing a lot of those things as well,

May 19th, go out and vote for Democrats up and down the ballot, okay?

Austin, what can Pennsylvanians do to help you get more accomplished in Pennsylvania?

Look, I think the best thing the Pennsylvanians could do is be engaged in the process, be engaged in our democracy. We've got elections coming up to make sure that they're engaged in the process. They're making a plan to

they're voting for the candidates that best reflect their values and what they want their future to look like. Look, you the work that I do every day.

When I first got started, it was because I wanted what I wanted my community and my world to look like. It has changed significantly. I'm honored to be your Lieutenant Governor, but the highest honor I have is being a dad to my daughter, Harper. And it's about the world she's going to inherit. And I want her to inherit a Pennsylvania that is brighter.

and more fair and more just than the one that I inherited. And so that's what I'm working for, for all of Pennsylvania's children. And so I think we all have responsibility to try to get there and to get off the sidelines and to get in the game and to do our part.

hear that Pennsylvania? The LG is saying to get off the sidelines, not just for him, not just for his kid, but for all Pennsylvanians. And I'm gonna do my part. thank you LG for getting that message out there.

Austin, what gives you hope?

Yeah, look, ⁓ first off, my daughter gives me hope and the young people that I see every day that I travel our great Commonwealth, they give me hope for the future because they're going to be so much better than

my generation and the folks who are serving now. And they give me a lot of hope. But what we have on the line this year gives me a lot of hope. ⁓ The fact that we can get a trifecta in Harrisburg.

The fact that we could deliver on raising the minimum wage to LGBTQ protections, to affordable housing, all of that is really what keeps me going every single day to do this work and to stay in this fight.

Well, you give me hope, Austin, because I hear all the time people are saying, you where are the leaders? Where are the leaders in the Democratic Party? And I'm talking to one right now. I'm looking at a leader and I'm just so grateful that you wake up every day and try to make the Commonwealth a better place. And with people like you, I will not lose hope. So thank you for that.

my last question for you is what plans do you have to get you through these next few years? Because it's been a bruiser. Let's not kid ourselves. It's been a bruiser in this country the last couple of years. We have a couple more. So what are you doing to protect your mental health?

You know, look, I just lean into the work that I do. Every day that I get to go to work, I can see the impact that I'm having, whether that's funding after school programs for young people in our community or making sure that we're living in safe communities. I can see, touch, and feel those things happening. that's what...

keeps me getting up in the morning, keeps me going, keeps me energized because while we've seen a lot of success, we still have so much more work to do. And it's about the world that I'm going to leave behind for my daughter and for all of Pennsylvania's children. So that's the thing that keeps me going on top of a good cycling routine and a good gym workout. Those things that keep my mental health strong.

Yeah.

Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis running for reelection this year. If you're listening, if you're watching, you need to go to davis4pa.com. Make a donation if you can. But more importantly, while you're out there knocking doors, supporting candidates, Democratic candidates to flip the state Senate blue and expand our Democratic majority in the state house, it doesn't matter where you are, because Austin Davis is going to be on your ballot. So no matter where you go in the Commonwealth, get the word out.

Austin Davis has to win re-election. Governor Josh Shapiro has to win

so we can get more shit done next year and the next four years. Austin, thank you so much for your time, for everything that you do. And I can't wait to vote for you again this November 3rd.

Thank you so much Zeke, it's so great to be with you and all your viewers. Thank you for having me on. I look forward to seeing you out there on the trail.

Well, thank you so much for joining me here on The Zekely Podcast. Stay hopeful and get

And until next time, let's keep building a stronger Pennsylvania together.