HARRISBURG, Pa. — After weeks of speculation, former Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano announced he will not run for the U.S. Senate in 2024.
The announcement comes after he said he had been praying about his political future.
"At this moment, the way things are, I am not running for the U.S. Senate seat," said Mastriano during a Facebook Live event on Thursday night. “I know for some, that will be disappointing. I know for others it will not be disappointing, because you’re like, ‘Who is going to fill his seat and be the voice for us in Harrisburg.’”
Mastriano and his wife say they will throw their full support into whichever Republican runs against the Democratic-incumbent Bob Casey. They also called on voters to unite as a party.
"Remy and I do not want any nominee for any future seat to be abandoned or betrayed by their party," said Mastriano. "So we pledge to stand with the person you pick and hopefully the state party will not endorse."
Senator Casey was asked about a potential Republican challenge when visiting York County on Thursday afternoon.
“I try not to comment too much on what the other side is thinking about in a political context, so we’ll see what happens," said Casey.
Republican Dave McCormick said he is considering another run for the U.S. Senate in 2024. McCormick lost the GOP nomination for Senate to Dr. Mehmet Oz in 2022, who went on to lose to former Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman.
McCormick released the following statement after Doug Mastriano's announcement:
“I thank Doug for his years of military and public service and his dedication to Pennsylvania.
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. Casey votes for Biden’s liberal agenda 98% of the time; he is openly hostile to our state’s energy industry, endorses dangerous criminals walking freely on our streets, and is enabling open borders, leading to a terrifying rise in fentanyl deaths in Pennsylvania.
Throughout my life, I have had the honor to serve and lead, including as a paratrooper in the first gulf war and later while creating hundreds of jobs in Western Pennsylvania. We need a Republican nominee who can build a broad coalition of Pennsylvanians to defeat Bob Casey and improve the lives of Pennsylvania families.”