State Sen. Doug Mastriano, the Republican nominee for governor in Pennsylvania, has caused concern on both sides of the political aisle. Mastriano rose to fame/infamy as one of the loudest voices pushing the false notion that the 2020 election had been stolen from Trump. He commissioned several busloads of people to attend the January 6, 2021, “Stop the Steal” rally, although he said he never entered the Capitol building that day.
Here's a look at the sitting Attorney General and the Democratic nominee for governor Josh Shapiro explaining why the entire country needs to be cautious of his opponents “dangerous extremism”:
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The Donald Trump-endorsed Republican candidate for Pennsylvania governor, held a rally outside the State Capitol in Harrisburg over the weekend that was attended by just a few dozen people.
According to The New York Times, about half of those who watched Mastriano speak were volunteers from his own campaign team.
The low attendance was seen as a for Mastriano's struggling attempt to win over voters ahead of November's midterms. The Republican has been heavily outspent by his Democratic rival Josh Shapiro in terms of campaign funding, with Mastriano not paying for any television ads for several months.
According to the latest filings, Shapiro had raised $25.5 million coming into general election campaign, brought in another $25.4 million during the last three months alone, and has more than $10.9 million in cash on hand for the home stretch.
CNN reports that meanwhile, Mastriano raised roughly $3.2 million during the same period.
Polling suggests the money disparity in the race has had an impact. A new Marist poll released Tuesday shows Shapiro at 53% to Mastriano’s 40% among registered voters, a striking double-digit lead in a state that has been so closely contested in each of the last two presidential contests.
Former President Donald Trump, who endorsed Mastriano ahead of the primary, is set to hold a tele-rally on Tuesday to boost his candidacy.