Pennsylvania and the nation at large has a new threat to American democracy, in the nomination of Doug Mastriano as the Republican Gubernatorial nominee for the upcoming state election in November.
Mastriano is a far right authoritarian Christian nationalist, a retired US Army Colonel, who is a Donald Trump loyalist, and has promoted the “Big Lie”, that Trump won the Presidential Election of 2020 over President Joe Biden.
He was present at the January 6, 2021 US Capitol Insurrection, and breached barriers set up by the US Capitol Police, although he did not enter the Capitol during the riot and bloodshed that followed.
Mastriano was subpoenaed by the January 6 House Committee on February 22, to explain his involvement with Trump, but has not responded to the subpoena.
He has indicated that he will, if elected Pennsylvania Governor, appoint a Secretary of State who will insure that the electoral votes of the Keystone state go to Trump or whoever is the Republican nominee in the Presidential Election of 2024, no matter what the popular vote results are.
He has also promoted the idea of limiting voting, and outlawing abortion in all circumstances, including rape, incest, and even life of the mother. He invokes Christian religious rhetoric, and has promoted conspiracy theories. He has also limited media ability to cover his public events. There are many Republicans who think he is an direct threat to their party’s success in the Fall elections, due to his clearcut extremism.
Matriano also resisted the promotion of masking to deal with the COVID 19 Pandemic, and has demonstrated that he is very dangerous in his views on public health matters.
It is essental that Democratic Gubernatorial nominee Josh Shapiro, presently the Attorney General, defeat Mastriano in the upcoming election, as Mastriano is perceived as a “clear and present danger” to the state of Pennsylvania and American democracy!