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Pennsylvania is lining up to be among the biggest prizes for Democrats and Republicans in the upcoming midterm elections. A pivotal swing state with upcoming elections for governor and U.S. Senate, Pennsylvania is considered a must-win for both sides.
But for Republicans, there are concerns that their nominee for governor, State Sen. Doug Mastriano, may be driving voters to Democrats.
On Wednesday, a group of former and current Pennsylvania Republicans declared that they would be throwing their support behind the Democrats’ nominee, Attorney General Josh Shapiro. Several of these officials have justified their support for Shapiro by pointing to what they consider Mastriano’s extreme conservatism that they believe will cost him victory.
Former congressman Rep. Charles Dent, a political moderate who resigned in part from disillusionment with then-President Donald Trump’s presidency, praised Shapiro as a bridge-builder who had the right priorities in mind without contrasting him directly to Mastriano.
“I’ve been a Republican my entire life, and I have always supported Pennsylvania’s Republican Governors – but in this election, I am proud to endorse Josh Shapiro,” said Dent in a statement. “Josh has integrity and always works to bring people together. We may not always agree on every policy position, but that is to be expected.”
Others were more pointed in naming Mastriano as the reason for their defection. Sandra Schultz Newman, the first female on Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court, called Mastriano “extreme” and said his priorities are “completely wrong.” Jim Greenwood, another former congressman, accused Mastriano of fanning the “flames of division” and characterized him as a danger to democracy.
Mastriano has cast himself to the far-right of the Republican Party. He participated as a legislator in Trump’s efforts to nullify now-President Joe Biden’s victory in Pennsylvania and has stuck close to Trump, earning his endorsement late in the GOP primary. Mastriano has also taken a hardline stance on abortion by promising to outlaw it in all cases as governor, a stance that may prove radioactive in a moderate swing state.
Despite earning Trump’s support, it remains uncertain if Mastriano is willing to go beyond his very conservative base of support ahead of November.
The Republican establishment has also shown signs that it has not yet rallied around Mastriano’s candidacy. For example, the Republican Governors Association has only tepidly congratulated him on his victory after signaling before that it may hold off on devoting resources to any campaign it does not see as competitively viable in November. GOP donors and leaders alike also worked to stop a Mastriano victory up until the final hours of the primary.
Shapiro is currently favored to win over Mastriano, according to the FiveThirtyEight blog. The Cook Political Report also rates the race for Pennsylvania’s governorship as “Lean Democratic” in another sign of the challenges Mastriano is staring down four months before the election.
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