Pennsylvania State Senator Doug Mastriano has ruled out another bid for governor in 2026, citing divine guidance as the reason behind his decision.
During a recent livestream with his wife Rebbie, Mastriano revealed that he and his wife had prayed and fasted extensively before making the announcement. The senator stated that they had received messages from constituents urging them to run again but ultimately believed that God did not intend for him to seek the governor's office this year.
Mastriano's decision comes after a resounding defeat in the 2022 gubernatorial election, where he ran as a Republican against incumbent Governor Josh Shapiro. Despite not endorsing state Treasurer Stacy Garrity ahead of the September party endorsement, Mastriano expressed his desire for grassroots support if a Republican candidate were to run in the future.
The senator's announcement was met with over 500 viewers tuning in to the livestream, which featured archival footage from the 2022 campaign trail and personal anecdotes. However, opponents of Mastriano's previous campaign highlighted his role in supporting former President Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, including his presence at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Mastriano reassured viewers that he remains a state senator and is not up for reelection until 2028. Shapiro is expected to announce his reelection campaign later this week, with Pennsylvania's primaries scheduled for May 19 and the general election set for November 3.
During a recent livestream with his wife Rebbie, Mastriano revealed that he and his wife had prayed and fasted extensively before making the announcement. The senator stated that they had received messages from constituents urging them to run again but ultimately believed that God did not intend for him to seek the governor's office this year.
Mastriano's decision comes after a resounding defeat in the 2022 gubernatorial election, where he ran as a Republican against incumbent Governor Josh Shapiro. Despite not endorsing state Treasurer Stacy Garrity ahead of the September party endorsement, Mastriano expressed his desire for grassroots support if a Republican candidate were to run in the future.
The senator's announcement was met with over 500 viewers tuning in to the livestream, which featured archival footage from the 2022 campaign trail and personal anecdotes. However, opponents of Mastriano's previous campaign highlighted his role in supporting former President Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, including his presence at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Mastriano reassured viewers that he remains a state senator and is not up for reelection until 2028. Shapiro is expected to announce his reelection campaign later this week, with Pennsylvania's primaries scheduled for May 19 and the general election set for November 3.
I mean, I'm not gonna lie, another bid would've been a long shot after that last election 
. He can't blame his past decisions completely – supporting Trump wasn't exactly popular with voters... but still, divine guidance? Come on! That's just funny lol.
. I'm sure he'll do a better job than Mastriano did back then 
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. Anyways, let's just hope the next governor is someone who actually cares about the state 
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I don’t usually comment but... I feel like this is a bit too convenient for him, you know? Citing divine guidance as the reason for not running again seems like a pretty cop-out to me 
. I mean, if he's really that sure about it, why not just tell us and save people the drama of wondering what's going on? And what's with all these 'messages from constituents' 
... sounds like some PR spin to me 
. On a more serious note, though, I do wish he'd take responsibility for his actions during the 2020 election debacle 
. Still, at least he's not running, so that's a small victory, right? 
so this dude Mastriano just says he listened to God & didn't wanna run again because He said so? 
. He's got some baggage from his past, what with supporting Trump's attempts to flip the election and showing up at that U.S. Capitol riot on Jan 6... not exactly the most popular guy among voters.
Anyway, at least he's sticking by his principles (or so he claims), even if they're not exactly in line with most Pennsylvanians' views.
like, his campaign did tank pretty hard last time around... and now shapiro is prob gonna announce he's running again, which would just be more of the same old republican vs democrat battle 
anyway, i guess it's good that mastriano is staying in the senate for now, at least we still have someone who can keep an eye on shapiro from a different angle 
but at the same time, supporting Trump's attempts to overturn election results isn't exactly the most popular thing among Republicans these days 
! Mastriano said he listened to god 
. i wish him luck tho 
, i still think he's a great senator 
even if i don't agree with everything he says 
and honestly, I'm kinda surprised he'd even think about running again after getting trounced last time 
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. Didnt he lose last time because of that Trump thingy? 
Can't they just admit they're scared of running again? 
I'm not surprised to see Mastriano choosing not to run again - he did take some pretty divisive stances during his last campaign 
. Either way, it'll be interesting to see how Shapiro does in the primaries 
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. It seems like a pretty convenient way out after getting thumped in the last election. And what about all those constituents who wanted him to run again? Did they just magically disappear? 
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. But for me, it's hard not to think about the whole January 6 thing... I mean, he was right in the thick of it, and it's still a pretty contentious issue 
. And honestly, I'm kinda rooting for him - he seems like a more down-to-earth guy compared to Mastriano 
Mastriano's gotta think about his next move tho, Shapiro's got a good shot at re-election 
might be an opportunity for someone else to step up and lead PA forward