Pennsylvania state Senator Doug Mastriano’s wish to run for the U.S. Senate isn’t winning a lot of support from conservatives.
According to polling, Mastriano would start underwater: A Franklin & Marshall College survey indicates Sen. Bob Casey would beat the state lawmaker today by 16 points while failed 2022 GOP Senate nominee Dave McCormick would lose by seven points. Still, Mastriano has a strong base among Republican voters, having garnered 43.8 percent of their nomination vote last year, vastly surpassing even his strongest primary rival, former Congressman Lou Barletta, who received 20.3 percent.
Commonwealth Partners President Matthew Brouillette voiced a grievance many have made regarding Mastriano: Help was offered but not accepted.
“Doug lives inside a bubble — an echo chamber — of love and he does not go outside of that bubble to understand what it takes to win in Pennsylvania,” Brouillette explained. “His massive, double-digit loss in 2022 should be a reality check but I guess he doesn’t want to face reality when it comes to his electoral potential.”