PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — After a bruising GOP primary race for governor, even Republicans wondered if Doug Mastriano could soften his message to win over moderates and independents in the general election.
During the primary, top Pennsylvania Republicans very publicly worried Mastriano’s tendency to quote scripture or his extreme views on election integrity could fire up the base but may turn away moderates and independents. State Senate Republican floor leader Kim Ward said in a since-deleted Facebook post, “The Democrats will destroy [Mastriano] with swing votes.”
But as the election gets closer, rather than tack toward the center, Mastriano leans into his strategy: A good offense is the best defense.
“[We’re] gonna make Pennsylvania the Florida of the north. We're gonna do it,” he said at a recent campaign stop.
“This is how we win it,” he advised. “When you see somebody [say], ‘Oh I saw an ad about Doug, he’s anti-this or phobic-that,’ just remind them of the dirty, stinkin’ laundry list.”
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That “dirty, stinkin’ laundry list” is the term Mastriano has given to Democratic policies that have become lightning rods for right-wing populists, issues like gun laws, transgender rights, and school choice or curriculum.
“Don’t even defend,” he told voters. “ ‘Ah, he’s not that’ — you’re on the defense. No, go on the attack.”
Mastriano sticks to the Donald Trump recipe of crowd-pleasing populist topics. But one area he has been somewhat avoiding for the past couple months is abortion. During the primary, Mastriano called abortion a “national catastrophe.”
“We’re gonna move with alacrity, with speed on a heartbeat bill, and we’re gonna get it done,” he said at the time.
He made it clear he opposes all abortion, with no exception for rape, incest or health of the mother.
But in a July appearance on WPHT 1210 after Roe v. Wade was overturned, Mastriano dodged the question of exceptions: “My personal views are irrelevant in the effect I can’t do anything with abortion because it’s codified in law. We have the Abortion Control Act that guides abortion in Pennsylvania.”
He said he supports putting abortion on the ballot and letting the voters decide.
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On the campaign stump, Mastriano is following his own advice of spinning attacks rather than defending or explaining them.
“One of the issues they want to try to distract us on: The Democrats pretend that they have the corner on women’s rights,” he had said.
With help from his wife, Rebbie, Mastriano hits hot-button topics like transgender participation in women’s sports or a mother’s say in her child’s education.
Mastriano was elected to the state Senate in 2019, and he quickly made a name for himself supporting Trump’s unfounded claims of widespread election fraud, while also attacking the Wolf administration’s COVID-19 shutdowns and mandates.
But he was barred from closed-door Republican caucus hearings in the state Senate and stripped of a committee chairmanship over accusations he was working against the group and only sought to further his own brand.
During the primary, Democratic opponent Josh Shapiro ran ads favorable for Mastriano, prompting political analysts to believe Shapiro was trying to stack the deck for a candidate he believes was the most beatable in a general election.
Recent polls put Shapiro ahead in the race. The general election is Nov. 8.
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