The far-right Republican candidate Doug Mastriano, who is supported by Donald Trump, doesn’t think the former president lost the 2020 election. But on Sunday, he graciously accepted his loss as Pennsylvania’s governor.
The outcomes are difficult to take, but the only course of action is to concede, Mastriano said in a one-page statement released on Sunday. Josh Shapiro will serve as our next governor. Please give him the chance to lead and pray that he does so successfully.
Mastriano conceded over five days after the election, a lag time that his rival considered inconsequential. The campaign was one of two significant contests in the state that gauged the mood of the country amid rumors that Trump will run for office again in 2024.
When democracy was tested, it didn’t surrender — it prevailed.
So did the people of Pennsylvania.
— Josh Shapiro (@JoshShapiroPA) November 13, 2022
In a state with substantial Democratic Black and Latino populations as well as an aging white working class that the GOP has targeted for support, Democrats won both contests. In the other race, Democratic Lt. Governor John Fetterman defeated Trump supporter Mehmet Oz for a Senate seat.
After midterm elections that were largely anticipated to overturn Democrats’ tenuous hold on Congress, the victory turned the seat from red to blue and helped the Democrats maintain control of the Senate.
Mastriano said, “In total, we received votes from approximately 2.2 million Pennsylvanians, and I appreciate every one of you, from the bottom of my heart,” in his statement, noting that he had no reason to question the validity of the results in his personal defeat.
To everyone who made their voice heard in this election, I really can’t thank you enough.
Voter turnout was *high* 📈🥰
PA is 🔵 because of you 🙏
— John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) November 13, 2022
Democrats and Biden rejoice at maintaining control of the Senate. Biden can continue to overhaul the judiciary with the Senate now controlled by the Democrats. Democrat Cisco Aguilar defeats election skeptic endorsed by Trump Jim Marchant is running for Nevada secretary of state.
Mastriano, a former Army colonel who is known for his strong views—he claims that anyone found in violation of a proposed ban on abortion for women who are six weeks pregnant should be charged with murder—sounded moderate on paper on Sunday.
But he persisted in harboring misgivings about the US electoral process. Pennsylvania urgently needs electoral reform, he wrote. “We can and must improve how our elections are conducted to make them more open, safe, and swiftly decided.”