Dem
51
GOP
49
In theory, Doug Mastriano is waiting for two people to weigh in on a run for Pennsylvania's U.S. Senate seat: his wife and God. He has not announced yet; it's not clear which vote he's waiting for. However, he loves attention and he hungers for power, so one has to presume he will eventually get the two yeses he is looking for.
This is not a situation that pleases mainstream Republicans, like Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY). They know full well that Mastriano is popular enough to win the primary, but is toxic enough that he's a dead duck in the general. Live turtles don't like dead ducks, especially when those ducks' opponents are well-heeled well-liked three-term incumbent senators like Bob Casey (D-PA).
And now, there is another prominent Republican who has spoken up and said (only in private, thus far) that he definitely does not want Mastriano running in 2024. That would be none other than Donald J. Trump.
Trump's concern is, and always has been, Donald Trump. In 2022, The Donald was thrilled to have Mastriano run for governor, since Mastriano constantly sang the former president's praises, and since non-establishment candidates were a poke in the eye for the GOP establishment (e.g., McConnell). But in 2024, Trump expects to be the Republican nominee. And while he's not the shrewdest political strategist the world has known, he is more than savvy enough to know that Pennsylvania is a must-have, and that Mastriano is more likely to drag the Republican ticket down than he is the elevate it.
We shall see if Trump's lack of enthusiasm is enough to override the votes of Mrs. Mastriano and God. Certainly, for some Trumpers (the ones who don't seem to have read the portion of the Bible about golden idols), Trump is above the Holy Father on the flowchart:
If Trump's thumbs down is not enough by itself, perhaps the former president can offer Mastriano some sort of deal, like "drop out of the Senate race, and I'll appoint you to the Cabinet when I'm elected." That certainly wouldn't be the first time a deal like that has been struck by a presidential candidate, though Mastriano would be wise to get it on paper. Notarized. With multiple witnesses. And a video recording. (Z)