Mastriano was considering entering what is expected to be one of the most expensive elections of 2024, but many Republicans believe he’s too far right to win in Pennsylvania.
Mastriano is a hardline conservative who was backed by former President Donald Trump in 2022’s gubernatorial race against Democrat Governor Josh Shapiro. He lost that race by almost 15 percentage points in what most establishment Republicans believe should have been a competitive race.
“At this time, we have decided not to run for the U.S. Senate, but to continue to serve in Harrisburg,” Mastriano said. He is currently a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate.
“We need to beat [Senator Bob Casey]. While I have decided not to run, someone else will decide to run and someone else will win the primary next year and be the nominee. Whoever is that nominee, I will support them,” he continued. “We hope you will too because I don’t want any other Republican candidate to go through what we went through last year when our own party betrayed us.”
Who Will Take the Nomination?
Mastriano bowing out means David McCormick, who narrowly lost the GOP Senate primary to Doctor Mehmet Oz last year, will have an easy path to the nomination.
While McCormick hasn’t formally announced, he is widely expected to do so this summer.
“I thank Doug for his years of military and public service and his dedication to Pennsylvania,” McCormick said in a statement. “I am seriously considering a run for the U.S. Senate because Bob Casey has consistently made life worse for Pennsylvania families over the past 18 years, and our state deserves better.”
“We need a Republican nominee who can build a broad coalition of Pennsylvanians to defeat Bob Casey and improve the lives of Pennsylvania families,” he added.
McCormick is supported by Senator Steve Daines (R-MT), the National Republican Senatorial Committee chairman, as well as the Senate Leadership Fund, which is run by allies of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
He’ll need all the establishment support he can get as the race is expected to be one of the most costly across the country. Those familiar with politics in Pennsylvania say candidates will need at least $100 million to be competitive.
