Doug Mastriano brings campaign to Beaver County
NEW SEWICKLEY, Pa. (KDKA) — State Senator Doug Mastriano, the Republican candidate for governor, brought his campaign to Beaver County.
Wednesday's event was a day after Mastriano's abbreviated virtual appearance before the House January 6 committee. Mastriano did not take any questions from the crowd or the media at Wednesday's event in New Sewickley Township.
"You do have a choice here between freedom and oppression, between regulation and self-rule," Mastriano told the crowd. "We are going to hand the power back to the people where it always should have been."
Mastriano talked about his priorities — supporting school choice, law enforcement and drilling — and opposing regulations, critical race theory and illegal immigration.
He also slammed his opponent, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro. He called him ineffective and unqualified.
"(Governor Tom) Wolf's policies and Josh Shaprio's record are a disaster for Pennsylvania, and we the people are sick and tired of this. And we are not standing aside anymore," Mastriano said.
KDKA-TV wanted to ask Mastriano questions, but volunteers said that was not allowed inside the event. The volunteers also said KDKA-TV was not allowed to engage or approach him.
At one point, Mastriano called out the media.
"The vitriol coming out of the media, it's indicative that they're afraid we are going to win," he said. "I got bad news for them and good news for you: We are going to win on Nov. 8."
After the event, KDKA-TV tried to talk to Mastriano, but he did not want to talk.
People at the event had a lot to say.
"This state and this country are falling completely apart, OK, and somebody needs to bring it all back together," Ralph Flara of New Brighton said.
"I'm a Democrat, and I don't like what's going on in the government right now," Robin Thill of Wexford said. "I found a very genuine man. I don't find him to be radical at all."
Shapiro's campaign issued a statement on Wednesday:
"When health care coverage for 1.9 million people in Western Pennsylvania was threatened, Josh Shapiro got UPMC and Highmark to come to the table and protected Pennsylvanians' access to their doctors — and throughout his time as Attorney General, he's taken on the powerful and stood up for the people of Pennsylvania.
"Doug Mastriano, on the other hand, is only focused on banning abortion with no exceptions, recruiting antisemitic extremists from Gab to join his campaign, and plotting to overturn our elections. He is far too extreme for Pennsylvania."