Pa. Governor Hopeful Drops Out, Backs Rival As Primary Nears

Pa. Governor Hopeful Drops Out, Backs Rival As Primary Nears

At the news conference on Thursday, Pennsylvania’s top state senator, Jake Corman, announced his support for Lou Barletta.

PHILADELPHIA— A Republican candidate for Governor of Pennsylvania said on Thursday that he was terminating his campaign and endorsed competitor Lou Barletta,  move that comes as GOP officials fear that the front-runner, Doug Mastriano, is too far to the right to win in the general election.

Jake Corman, Pennsylvania’s top state senator, pledged his support for Barletta at a press conference only day before the state’s Tuesday primary, amid Republican hand-wringing that a Mastriano victory would destroy their prospects of flipping the governorship in Nov in the battleground state.

A Republican candidate for governor of Pennsylvania said on Thursday that he was terminating his campaign and endorsed competitor Lou Barletta, a move which comes as GOP officials fear that the front-runner, Doug Mastriano, is too far to the hope of winning in a general election.

 PHILADELPHIA — A Republican candidate for Governor of Pennsylvania said on Thursday that he was terminating his campaign and endorsed competitor Lou Barletta, a move which comes as GOP officials fear that the front-runner, Doug Mastriano, is too far to the right to win in the general election.

Jake Corman, Pennsylvania’s top state senator, pledged his support for Barletta at a press conference only day before the state’s Tuesday primary, amid Republican hand-wringing that a Mastriano victory would destroy their prospects of flipping the governorship in Nov. in the battleground state.

Corman’s name will stay on statewide ballots, & mail-in voting has already begun. Since polls have shown Corman gaining little traction, it’s unclear what, if any, impact his decision to halt his candidacy will have on the race.

Mastriano has demonstrated strength in recent surveys despite being a strong proponent of conspiracy theories, such as former President  Trump’s erroneous assertions that the 2020 election was plagued by extensive fraud, resulting in his defeat in Pennsylvania. Mastriano also floated the idea of overturning the election results, which drew an subpoena from the congressional committee probing the Jan. 6 Capitol insurgency.

Pa. Governor Hopeful Drops Out, Backs Rival As Primary Nears

Behind the scenes, party officials have been urging contenders in what was once a 10-strong field to move aside & coalesce around one person to help beat Mastriano for weeks. Eight candidates remain after one dropped away early enough in contest to be removed from ballots.

Both Corman & Barletta declined to explain why they believe Mastriano will lose to state Attorney General Josh Shapiro, the expected Democratic nominee.

On Thursday, Barletta admitted that there are little policy differences between him & Mastriano. Rather, he emphasised his expertise as mayor of the small Pennsylvania town of Hazleton and 4 terms in Congress.

Mastriano claimed earlier this week that the Republican establishment is “in panic mode” over the possibility of him becoming the party’s nominee. Meanwhile, Bill McSwain & Dave White, two other Republicans still in the campaign, mocked the Corman-Barletta partnership as one professional politician endorsing other career politician.