After losing the Pennsylvania governor’s contest by double digits, Republican Doug Mastriano is mulling a run for the Keystone State's Senate seat held by Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA).
Despite his 2022 drubbing, Mastriano said he feels he has cultivated a robust base of support and strong name recognition. The dilemma before him is how best to use it, and he is keen on "keeping it alive."
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“What do you do with a movement of 2.2 million?” he asked Politico. “We’ve seen people in the past, other Republican gubernatorial candidates, they rise and they disappear when they lose. Why? ... You have people that love you and support you.”
Historically, Pennsylvania has been a battleground state fiercely competitive between Republicans and Democrats. But in 2022, Mastriano was walloped by Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA), 56.5% to 41.7%. Some Republicans later blamed him for being a drag on Senate hopeful Dr. Mehmet Oz, who lost to Democrat John Fetterman by a tighter margin in the Senate race.
Since Oz's loss, some Republicans have floated his primary opponent, businessman David McCormick, as a contender in the 2024 Senate election.
“Unbelievably, I’ve never met him, so I’d hate to make a judgment on him without meeting him since he’s probably going to run," Mastriano said of McCormick. “I think I’ll have a few people also running that I know and like.”
During his gubernatorial race, Mastriano was pummeled by Democrats for challenging the 2020 election in Pennsylvania, appearing at the Capitol on the day of the Jan. 6 riot, and his position on abortion. He took five days to concede his election defeat.
Mastriano noted that God and his wife, Rebbie, will have the final say on whether or not he runs for the upper chamber, acknowledging that challenging Casey would be difficult.
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Reflecting on his last election, Mastriano recalled being overly confident that he would defeat Shapiro despite being down in polls handily due to the energy he observed on the campaign trail. He also contended that Republicans "have to embrace no-excuse mail-in voting." He argued his past reluctance to do so cost him the last election.
“How do I beat the Casey name? ‘Mastriano?'” he pondered. “At least they know who I am now."