Northeast
Top Republican with ‘army’ of supporters makes major announcement as Shapiro launches re-elect campaign
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Pennsylvania state Sen. Doug Mastriano is sitting out the 2026 elections, criticizing the state’s political climate in a sharply worded open letter.
Mastriano, who represents Chambersburg, Gettysburg and McSherrystown in the legislature, rose to prominence by spearheading opposition to COVID-19 lockdowns engineered by then-Gov. Tom Wolf; where violations were often litigated by then-Attorney General Josh Shapiro and Wolf’s cabinet, like then-Health Secretary Rachel Levine and Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding.
The retired Army colonel and veteran of Desert Storm’s Battle of 73 Easting – the last contemporary tank battle – confirmed to Fox News Digital late Wednesday that he will not seek the Republican nomination for governor despite vocal public support on the conservative right. This opens up the field to state Treasurer Stacy Garrity.
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“God has not called us to run for governor in this season,” he said. “Maybe 2028. Maybe 2030. But not now. That does not mean we are stepping away.”
In an accompanying “Open Letter to the People of Pennsylvania” shared with Fox News Digital, Mastriano took jabs at both Shapiro and intraparty critics and promised that his “Walk As Free People” movement started during the lockdowns is not going anywhere.
“[Doug] and his wife Rebbie remain committed to leading and strengthening the grassroots conservative movement across the Commonwealth,” Mastriano added in a statement to Fox News Digital.
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“This movement was never about one person or one campaign,” Mastriano said in a statement issued from Gettysburg. “It has always been about faith, freedom, and the people of Pennsylvania.”
Since the lockdowns, Mastriano and other lawmakers have held rallies and protests around the state, from tiny Jerome, outside Johnstown, to the steps of the Capitol in Harrisburg.
Supporters, who often donned “Walk as Free People” or “Mastriano’s Army” shirts, also held occasional picnics in a lockdown-averse township outside Lancaster.
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State Sen. Doug Mastriano, left, and Gov. Josh Shapiro (Mark Makela/Getty Images; Lev Raden/Getty Images)
Mastriano said that although he lost to Shapiro in 2022, the race saw the highest Republican turnout since 1962, and collected 29,000 ballot signatures.
Supporters claimed during the 2022 race that Mastriano would also have become the first GOP gubernatorial candidate to win without party endorsement intervention in the primary since Gov. Dick Thornburgh – who later became President Ronald Reagan’s attorney general.
“He further challenged Republican Party leadership, rejecting what he described as ‘backroom deals’ and ‘premature endorsements,’ and said future candidates must earn support directly from voters,” the senator’s open letter went on, referencing his reservations about how the race was viewed by the establishment.
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Mastriano also took aim at Shapiro, calling his governorship a “machine… corrupt and riddled with scandal, propped up by Hollywood elites and out-of-state billionaires who neither understand Pennsylvania nor respect its values.”
“Josh Shapiro is not strong, not serious, and not fit to lead,” Mastriano said, going on to suggest that former Vice President Kamala Harris “distanced herself” from him after vetting her potential running mates and instead choosing Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
Mastriano also condemned members of the media who “spent years trying to destroy [the Walk as Free People] movement while admitting they gave Shapiro a free pass.”
JOSH SHAPIRO DEFENDS CLAIM THAT KAMALA HARRIS TRYING TO ‘COVER HER A—’ WITH CRITICAL BOOK EXCERPT
He added that while he will not seek higher office at this time, his work in the Senate will continue and proof of his movement’s veracity lies in its successful work helping elect Sen. David McCormick, R-Pa., and re-electing President Donald Trump.
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When reached for comment, a representative for the Shapiro campaign directed Fox News Digital to a statement from the Pennsylvania Democrats that said the commonwealth is now “stuck with” Garrity.
“Today, it became clear that Pennsylvania Republicans will be stuck with yet again another Republican extremist, Stacy Garrity, as their candidate for governor. Garrity is an election denier who has never stated Donald Trump lost the 2020 election and peddled the dangerous lies that led to the January 6th insurrection,” the statement read in part, appearing to obliquely reference Mastriano’s decision.
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Pennsylvania
Emails detail how leaders in one Pa. county worked behind the scenes after ICE detention center surprise
But in a statement Monday, committee First Vice Chair Lisa Beaulieu said that while the committee respects McKee’s years of public service, “Many members felt Rhode Island needs a change in leadership and a renewed sense of urgency.”
McKee’s administration has been castigated over the closure of the Washington Bridge westbound in December 2023. Last week, McKee held a news conference to announce that construction of a brand new bridge has begun.
Beaulieu said, “Recent controversies and challenges facing state government have only reinforced our members’ belief that Rhode Island needs new leadership and a greater sense of urgency. We believe Helena Foulkes is the candidate best prepared to meet this moment and help put Rhode Island on a stronger path for the future.”
The Cumberland Democratic Town Committee voted 30 to 11 to back Foulkes over McKee, who served as mayor of Cumberland from 2007 to 2015 and from 2001 to 2005. He also served on the Cumberland Town Council from 1992 to 2000.
“Helena Foulkes earned overwhelming support from our committee because she has demonstrated the leadership qualities we are looking for in our next governor,” Beaulieu said. “She understands that Rhode Islanders expect more than promises — they expect progress.“
The McKee campaign has attacked Foulkes’ record as a former CVS executive, saying she bears responsibility for the opioid crisis.
Beaulieu said, “Whether it’s strengthening our economy, improving public services, addressing infrastructure challenges, or making Rhode Island more competitive, Helena has shown she has both the experience and the drive to move our state forward.”
The committee took its endorsement responsibility seriously, Beaulieu said. “Our members carefully considered who is best equipped to lead Rhode Island through the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead,” she said.
Foulkes issued a statement saying, “I hear from Rhode Islanders all the time about how they feel like the state government isn’t working for them and how eager they are for change. The Cumberland Democratic Town Committee’s endorsement is a telling rejection of the status quo.”
The McKee campaign declined to comment Monday night.
The winner of the Sept. 9 Democratic gubernatorial primary, which also involves Gregory Stevens, will face independent candidate Ken Block and the winner of a Republican primary involving Aaron Guckian, Elaine Pelino, and Robert Raimondo.
The Cumberland Democratic Town Committee endorsed Newport City Councilman Xay Khamsyvoravong over Lieutenant Governor Sabina Matos, former state senator Cynthia “Cindy” Coyne, and Providence Councilwoman Sue AnderBois in another Democratic primary. The winner will face former Republican state representative John J. Loughlin II.
The committee endorsed Keith Hoffmann, former chief of policy and senior counsel in the attorney general’s office, for state attorney general in a Democratic primary that also includes state Representative Jason Knight, Representative Joseph J. Solomon Jr., and former state Cannabis Control Commission chairperson Kim Ahern.
The committee endorsed US Senator Jack Reed, US Congressman Gabe Amo, Secretary of State Gregg M. Amore, and General Treasurer James A. Diossa. The committee also endorsed state Senators Ryan W. Pearson, Brian Thompson and state Representatives Mia A. Ackerman, Brandon Voas, Alex Marszalkowski, and Robert D. Phillips.
Edward Fitzpatrick can be reached at edward.fitzpatrick@globe.com. Follow him @FitzProv.
Poet Joanne McNeil Hayes is set to kick off the seventh season of the Words in the Woods program at Button Bay State Park in Ferrisburgh.
The event is scheduled for 11 a.m. June 20, according to a community announcement.
Hayes, who grew up in a Chicago suburb, wrote poems about Midwestern life before moving to southern Vermont. Her work has been published in Plum, ENOUGH, Crosswinds and Valley and Beyond.
Her current book of poetry, “I am the Prairie,” explores growing up in the shadow of the Illinois prairie and witnessing patterns of immigration from 1832 to 1900, when Vermont farmers moved to the fertile prairie of that state, according to the announcement.
Vermont Humanities is covering the park entrance fees for the event, allowing attendees to enjoy a full day at the park.
The full schedule is available at vermonthumanities.org/programs/attend/words-in-the-woods-events.
This story was created with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.
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