Pennsylvania primaries: Trump-backed Mastriano for governor, hopeful Senate Democrat Fetterman win

(The Center Square) – State Sen. Doug Mastriano won Pennsylvania’s Republican primary for governor on Tuesday, posting another win for candidates endorsed by former President Donald Trump.

Mastriano will face Josh Shapiro, the Democratic attorney general, in November. Shapiro was unopposed in his primary. Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, is term-limited.

The Democratic U.S. Senate primary finished as expected, with Lt. Gov. John Fetterman winning the nomination only days after he suffered a stroke. Fetterman, who received a pacemaker for his medical condition on Tuesday, led polls by a significant margin for months on the way to beating out U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb.

The Republican primary was too close to call at time of this publishing, with Trump’s endorsement win column craving another to go with an easy North Carolina U.S. Senate primary win by U.S. Rep. Ted Budd.

Mastriano, a first-term representative in Pennsylvania’s General Assembly, has been a leading state Republican in questioning the integrity of the 2020 presidential election. He led state polls by mid-April and his numbers only grew from there in a crowded field. The retired Army colonel was ahead in polling when Trump endorsed him days before the election.

“This is the first step in our fight to reclaim our state and bring Pennsylvania back to greatness,” Mastriano said in a statement. “This governor’s draconian policies, enforced by (Attorney General Josh Shapiro), have stolen our individual liberties, silenced our voices, stifled our economic growth, devastated our small businesses, destroyed our energy sector, and weakened our education system.”

Shapiro issued a statement calling Mastriano “an extremist candidate.”

“I have always fought for the good people of Pennsylvania – and as governor, I will bring people together to move our Commonwealth forward,” Shapiro said.

With 91% of the estimated vote total in, Mastriano received 45% of the votes, with former U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta in second with 21% of the votes and former U.S. Attorney Bill McSwain in third with 15% of the vote.

With 71% of the estimated vote total in, Fetterman won the Democratic U.S. Senate race with 60% of the vote and Lamb finished second with 27%.

The crowded Republican field, and the effect of the state party refusing to endorse any candidate, meant that Mastriano’s challengers struggled to build substantial support. Barletta, McSwain, and former Delaware County Councilman Dave White all presented themselves as alternatives to Mastriano, and split the vote share.

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