Who is Doug Mastriano?
And why are Republicans freaking out?
The fact that (newly-Donald Trump-endorsed) Pennsylvania state senator Doug Mastriano is leading the Republican gubernatorial field has set off alarm bells within the GOP:
- Politico: Pennsylvania GOP panics over possible Mastriano nomination
- Philadelphia Inquirer: Pa. GOP insiders are plotting an 11th-hour plan to stop Doug Mastriano in the governor’s race
- CBS News: Republicans fear far-right candidate Doug Mastriano will be Pennsylvania governor nominee
But why are Republicans so worried about the increasingly-likely possibility that Mastriano will be the one facing Democrat Josh Shapiro in November?
Because Mastriano’s record is disqualifying to all but the most rabid MAGA devotees, and Republicans know it. Their own polls are telling them to panic. And here’s why:
Mastriano would ban all abortions in PA — with no exceptions
Mastriano fully supports the Supreme Court’s vote to overturn Roe v. Wade — which only 16 percent of Pennsylvanians support. He has also promised to sign extreme abortion bans into state law should he be elected governor — including a radical ban that could outlaw some forms of birth control.
Mastriano would slash LGBTQ+ rights
The Supreme Court’s draft majority opinion on Roe v. Wade is broad and suggests that Republicans will use its precedent to continue eliminating other rights on a state-by-state basis, including protections for LGBTQ+ Americans. Mastriano does not believe in marriage equality and does not support gay couples adopting children. He would be a vehemently anti-LGBTQ governor and threaten the lives and happiness of LGBTQ parents, teachers, and kids.
Mastriano attended the January 6 insurrection and has been subpoenaed by Congress
Mastriano attended the January 6th insurrection and breached the police barricades — despite insisting, incorrectly, that he was there peacefully. He used his campaign funds to pay for travel to the attempted coup. He has also been subpoenaed by Congress for his alleged role in attempting to overturn the 2020 election by sending false electors to Washington, DC.
Mastriano wanted to suspend HIPAA during the COVID-19 pandemic
Mastriano came down in favor of eliminating HIPAA rights at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic — a fact that puts him significantly at odds with his later rhetoric around pandemic response.
