WASHINGTON — The new face of the Pennsylvania GOP and Republican nominee for governor, state Senator Doug Mastriano perfectly encapsulates Pennsylvania Republican lawmakers’ lurch to the right. Mastriano helped bus people into D.C. on January 6th and was subpoenaed by the bipartisan January 6th committee for his involvement in the attack on the U.S. Capitol. The GOP-controlled legislature has stood with his dangerous right-wing agenda over the needs of everyday Pennsylvanians. Pennsylvania Republicans up and down the ballot are aligned to attack the right to an abortion, the right to vote, and other fundamental freedoms.
“Doug Mastriano represents the worst of the worst of today’s GOP and Republican state legislators are all-in on his extreme agenda,” said DLCC President Jessica Post. “Pennsylvania Republicans continue to adopt far-right views and QAnon conspiracies as their guiding compass, taking aim at our democracy and fundamental freedoms in the process. The only way to beat these extremists, protect our democracy and the right to bodily autonomy is to elect Democrats up and down the ballot in Pennsylvania this fall.”
Pennsylvania Republicans’ radical agenda includes:
- Pushing for a total abortion ban: Pennsylvania House Speaker Bryan Cutler would push for a total abortion ban in the Pennsylvania legislature if Roe falls and Senate Republican Leader Kim Ward has introduced a state constitutional amendment banning abortion — despite a majority of Pennsylvanians who believe abortion should remain legal. Similarly, Doug Mastriano has signaled he would help the legislature bring a total abortion ban into law if elected, calling abortion “science-denying genocide” and banning it the “number one issue” of his campaign.
- Making it harder for Pennsylvanians to vote: Pennsylvania Republicans are pushing for anti-voter laws that would put up barriers to the ballot box for Pennsylvanians — especially rural, working-class, and disabled voters across the political spectrum. After voting for expanded voting access during his time in the Senate, Doug Mastriano has now promised to help statehouse Republicans eliminate vote-by-mail if elected.
Pennsylvania Republicans don’t want our government to work. They have refused to recognize Joe Biden as president and worked to overturn the 2020 presidential election results, spread dangerous conspiracy theories about the 2020 presidential election, and their standard-bearer was deeply involved in the January 6th insurrection.
###
