Police probing 'arson' at top US Democrat's official residence

US police said Sunday they were investigating an alleged arson attack at the official residence of Democratic heavyweight and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro.

Shapiro, who was tipped as a vice presidential candidate last year, was inside with his family when the fire broke out in a different part of the Georgian-style mansion in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, state police said.

"While the fire was successfully extinguished, it caused a significant amount of damage to a portion of the residence," the force said in a statement.

It offered a reward of up to $10,000 for the arrest and conviction of anyone responsible for the blaze, which fire officials responded to at around 2:00 am local time (0600 GMT) Sunday morning.

Shapiro wrote on X that he and his family awoke to "bangs on the door" from state police and were evacuated from the building.

"Thank God no one was injured and the fire was extinguished," he said.

The 51-year-old was a favorite to be Democrat Kamala Harris's running mate in her ultimately unsuccessful US presidential bid -- a position that instead went to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.

Shapiro, an assertive political centrist, was elected governor of Pennsylvania in 2022 when he faced off against a far-right candidate backed by President Donald Trump.

bur-bjt/bbk

© Agence France-Presse