Republicans are already worrying that having 1/6 insurrectionist Doug Mastriano at the top of the ticket will cost them the PA US Senate seat.
The fear among Republicans in the Senate is that if Mastriano implodes in the general election it could hurt their Senate candidate, according to several GOP sources. The GOP Senate primary has not yet been called. The uneasiness over Mastriano underscores the larger split within the Republican Party over former President Donald Trump’s false claims about the 2020 election, particularly among those who say such claims will harm the party’s electoral chances in November.
Senate GOP Whip John Thune also expressed concern about Mastriano’s past comments, telling CNN: “Some of the statements I think that that individual has made aren’t ideal.” And he added: “But I think people hopefully are when it comes to the fall election, are very discerning and will be able to differentiate candidate for governor from the candidate for Senate.”
National Republicans are apparently not aware that Pennsylvania voters already know who Doug Mastriano is. Mastriano is not an unknown figure in the state, and the odds are high that as soon as he won the gubernatorial nomination the damage was done.
Republicans know that they have lousy candidates in both of the top two races in Pennsylvania. It would not be a surprise if Democrats won them both, no matter who the Republican Senate candidate is.
Republicans don’t want Qanon Doug talking about the 2020 election or the insurrection, but those are the reasons why he won the nomination.
The red wave that Republicans were expecting may be stopped by a blue pushback in Pennsylvania.
Mr. Easley is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
