Doug Mastriano announced Thursday that he would not be running for Senate in the year 2024. Mastriano is a far-right state Senator , who lost to a Democrat in Pennsylvania’s governorship contest.
Mastriano announced in a Video on Facebook posted Thursday that he had decided to not run for Senate but continue serving in Harrisburg.
“I know that for some people, this will be disappointing. Others will not be disappointed, as they’ll ask, “Who is going to fill that seat?” Who will be our voice at Harrisburg?
Mastriano was openly considering a Senate run, much to some party leaders’ dismay who did not want to see a repeat in 2022.
Republicans are trying their best to unseat Sen. Bob Casey , whose reelection bid will be a crucial factor in Democrats’ efforts to maintain their slim Senate majority next year.
Many Republicans look to Dave McCormick. He is a businessman, who narrowly lost the GOP Senate Primary last year to Mehmet Oz, a celebrity doctor.
McCormick released a statement after Mastriano announced that he still had the option of running.
He said: “I’m seriously considering running for the U.S. Senate, because Bob Casey consistently made life worse in Pennsylvania for families over the last 18 years. Our state deserves better.”
Mastriano first became a state senator in 2019, but he rose to prominence only after the 2020 elections, when the former president Donald Trump sought out allies in the state legislatures to help reverse his defeat.
Mastriano, who claimed he had not entered the building, was standing outside the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 as pro-Trump supporters stormed Congress to keep the then-president, Donald Trump, in office. His state Senate campaign also paid for buses to take people to the rally before the riot.
Mastriano, who was a former Army Colonel, wanted to capitalize on his growing profile. He launched a campaign for governor and won over a large primary field. Trump’s endorsement helped him win at the end.
Throughout his campaign, Mastriano focused on culture-war issues. He also woven themes of Christian nationalalism into his campaign. He took a strong stance against abortion. He also took a hardline stance against abortion rights.
Democrat Josh Shapiro was then the state’s attorney general and was able capitalize on Mastriano’s history and position, framing it as the most extremist candidate running nationally last fall . He soared to a victory of more than 14 points, the largest margin for a non-incumbent Governor in Pennsylvania since 1946.
