A first-generation American, Shapiro was born to German-born Martin and Ann Donald, both Holocaust survivors,[2] in New York City on May 2, 1948.

[3] After a decade in New York City, the family moved to Dallas, Texas in 1958,[3] and Shapiro attended and graduated from Hillcrest High School.

Her campaign manager was Karl Rove, who would later work as a top aide to Governor George W. Bush (who would go on to be elected President in 2000).

Shapiro was the top vote-getter in the Republican primary against Don Kent and former Plano mayor Jack Harvard, then defeated Kent by 1 percentage point in a hotly-contested run-off election, during which vandals defaced her campaign signs with swastikas due to Shapiro's Jewish faith.

The race was so vitriolic that the Dallas Morning News ran an editorial titled "Voters Didn't Deserve This," calling for a lowering of temperatures.

[9][6] Shapiro's work earned her the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault's "Champion for Social Change Award".

President George W. Bush appointed Shapiro to the Honorary Delegation to Jerusalem for the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the State of Israel in May 2008.

[13] In January 2005, she was elected President pro tempore of the State Senate, becoming second in the gubernatorial line of succession, behind the Lieutenant Governor of Texas.

On July 15, 2008, Shapiro announced the formation of an exploratory committee for Hutchinson's seat, chaired by her friend and former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach.

[18] Hutchinson subsequently announced on January 13, 2011, that she would not run for re-election in 2012 and would retire after 18 years in the U.S. Senate[19] The next day, Shapiro decided against running to replace Hutchinson in the 2012 United States Senate election in Texas, ultimately won by Texas solicitor general Ted Cruz.

[20] Shapiro, who by then had raised approximately $1 million, formally withdrew her candidacy on March 31 and announced that she would refund her donors.