Dem
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GOP
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Republicans got a little bit of good news yesterday, as highly divisive election-denier Doug Mastriano (R), who got trounced in last year's gubernatorial election (he lost 56.5% to 41.7%), announced that he's not planning to run for the U.S. Senate this cycle.
Previously Mastriano, who is still a sitting Pennsylvania state senator, strongly intimated that he would run, pending approval from God and his wife. He did not specify which of those two used their veto power. Maybe it was both. Or maybe it was all the Pennsylvania Republicans who practically begged Mastriano not to run. For example, there was this op-ed earlier this week from Mastriano's colleague, state Rep. Russ Diamond (R). It begins: "Today I'm calling on all level-headed Pennsylvania Republicans to join me in requesting that Doug Mastriano abandon any plans he may have to run for U.S. Senate in 2024." The piece does not get friendlier from there.
Mastriano did leave open the door, just a crack; his exact statement was: "At this time, at this moment, the way things currently are, I am not running for the U.S. Senate seat." However, he's running out of time to put together a proper Senate campaign. And, again, he's very unpopular with Republican pooh-bahs. Now, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) & Co. will put the full-court press on as they try to persuade David McCormick (R) to jump in. Of course, McCormick didn't even survive the primary last time, and he'd be up against a popular incumbent in Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA). So, even if things continue to break right for the Republicans in the Keystone State, they are still a longshot to retake this seat. (Z)