Doug Mastriano in 2022 PA Governor's race


On Abortion: Fetal heartbeat bill would ban abortions after six weeks

State Sen. Doug Mastriano has already sponsored a bill that, like the Texas law, would ban abortions once a fetal heartbeat can be detected (about six weeks). He's using the Supreme Court's failure to halt the Texas law as a rallying point for the Pennsylvania measure.
Source: York Dispatch on 2022 Pennsylvania Gubernatorial race Sep 23, 2021

On Gun Control: Establish PA as a "Second Amendment Sanctuary"

Source: 2022 Pennsylvania Governor campaign website doug4gov.com May 18, 2022

On Abortion: End any state funding to Planned Parenthood

Source: 2022 Pennsylvania Governor campaign website doug4gov.com May 18, 2022

On Budget & Economy: Propose a 2023 budget that keeps reckless spending in check

Source: 2022 Pennsylvania Governor campaign website doug4gov.com May 18, 2022

On Civil Rights: Bar trans women from playing women's sports

He has promised that as governor he would issue executive orders on his first day in office to ban "critical race theory" -- a concept often taught in law schools that has become a catchall term for curriculum on racism -- and to bar trans women from playing women's sports.
Source: Spotlight PA on 2022 Pennsylvania Gubernatorial race May 17, 2022

On Corporations: Reduce the Corporate Net Income Tax Rate

Source: 2022 Pennsylvania Governor campaign website doug4gov.com May 18, 2022

On Crime: Use $100 million in federal funds for law enforcement

Senators Doug Mastriano and Devlin Robinson announced a plan to introduce legislation that will use $100 million in federal funds to establish the "Law Enforcement Recovery Grant." "There is a growing bipartisan chorus to adequately fund our law enforcement agencies in the aftermath of COVID-19", said Mastriano. "The law enforcement recovery grant will ensure that agencies across the commonwealth have the resources needed to properly serve their communities and save lives."
Source: Gettysburg Times on 2022 Pennsylvania Gubernatorial race Mar 28, 2022

On Education: A lot of distrust between public and government schools

A Republican measure calling for Pennsylvania schools to post textbook names and course summaries online cleared a Senate committee. Sen. Doug Mastriano said it "allows parents to play a greater active role in the oversight of what their children are being taught" and that it "will help alleviate a lot of the distrust currently between the public and the government schools."
Source: The Morning Call on 2022 Pennsylvania Gubernatorial race Sep 23, 2021

On Education: Education Opportunity Accounts would increase school choice

By redirecting our state funds to follow students instead of systems, not only will we expand choice on where parents can send their children to school, but we will also save money. Establishing programs like Education Opportunity Accounts (EOAs) would provide families with direct access to educational resources. With better accountability and increased competition for students amongst schools, Pennsylvania can actually save money on expenditures for education while improving its quality.
Source: Pottstown Mercury on 2022 Pennsylvania Gubernatorial race Feb 4, 2022

On Education: Tax endowments of wealthy private colleges

Several of our private state universities are sitting on billions in untaxed endowment funds. Only a minuscule percentage of university endowment funds are expended per year and less than half of those small expenditures go towards tuition reduction and scholarships for students, according to the American Council on Education. Taxing endowments on wealthy private colleges in Pennsylvania would be significant annual revenue generator for the General Assembly's general fund.
Source: Pottstown Mercury on 2022 Pennsylvania Gubernatorial race Feb 4, 2022

On Education: Immediate ban on Critical Race Theory, Gender Theory studies

Source: 2022 Pennsylvania Governor campaign website doug4gov.com May 18, 2022

On Energy & Oil: Encourage investment into the natural gas and coal industry

Source: 2022 Pennsylvania Governor campaign website doug4gov.com May 18, 2022

On Government Reform: Supported lawsuits, alternate electors after 2020 election

In Pennsylvania, Mastriano supported a barrage of lawsuits and a bid to appoint special electors. On November 25th, he hosted a theatrical hearing in Gettysburg, featuring Rudy Giuliani as a faux prosecutor. That afternoon, Mastriano and his son drove from Gettysburg to the White House at the President's invitation. (Mastriano tested positive for COVID-19 and was reportedly ushered out of the meeting with Trump.)
Source: The New Yorker on 2022 Pennsylvania Gubernatorial race May 9, 2021

On Government Reform: Cut spending; slash burdensome regulations

We also must look at getting our current spending under control. I believe that a thorough review of all 33 state government agencies will reveal significant waste and redundancy. Trimming the fat off these agencies will pay dividends for Pennsylvania in the long run, reduce the cost of our state government, and slash burdensome regulations. Better stewardship of the already exorbitant spending by Harrisburg is key to how can afford property tax elimination.
Source: Pottstown Mercury on 2022 Pennsylvania Gubernatorial race Feb 4, 2022

On Government Reform: Eliminate "No-Excuse" Mail-in voting and Ballot Drop boxes

Source: 2022 Pennsylvania Governor campaign website doug4gov.com May 18, 2022

On Government Reform: Cut statewide regulations by at least 55,000 in first year

Source: 2022 Pennsylvania Governor campaign website doug4gov.com May 18, 2022

On Government Reform: Prohibit political consultants from registering as lobbyists

Source: 2022 Pennsylvania Governor campaign website doug4gov.com May 18, 2022

On Gun Control: The right to defend yourself is a God-given right

Republican members of the State Senate unveiled new legislation designed to limit the reach of federal gun restrictions. "You should have the right to defend yourself. It's a God-given right, it's not given by man," Mastriano said. "So we are here today to stand firm with the people of Pennsylvania and declare that no matter what edicts, or presidential proclamations or federal laws that may come from politicians or bureaucrats in Washington D.C.--our constitutional rights will be defended."
Source: City & State on 2022 Pennsylvania Gubernatorial race May 12, 2021

On Health Care: Proposes allowing off-label drugs to treat COVID-19

Mastriano has introduced legislation to make it easier for state residents to obtain combinations of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin as well as ivermectin. "Despite a record of success, it is increasingly difficult for a patient in Pennsylvania to obtain these early treatment drugs following prescription from a provider," Mastriano wrote in his legislative memorandum. While Mastriano cites studies supporting the bill, the jury is still out on the drugs' effectiveness.
Source: The Times Observer on 2022 Pennsylvania Gubernatorial race Mar 1, 2022

On Health Care: Compared state COVID mandates to communist East Germany

Mastriano held an anti-vaccine rally for so-called medical freedom. The role and reach of government authority continues to be a top debate in Pennsylvania and across the country, and Mastriano encouraged his supporters to fight against that authority. Mastriano compared Pennsylvania to communist East Germany.
Source: Go Erie on 2022 Pennsylvania Gubernatorial race Nov 9, 2021

On Health Care: Immediate ban on all COVID-19 vaccine mandates

Source: 2022 Pennsylvania Governor campaign website doug4gov.com May 18, 2022

On Immigration: Prevent municipalities from becoming sanctuary cities

Another action to take is preventing municipalities from becoming sanctuary cities. Municipalities who refuse to cooperate with federal immigration officials should no longer be eligible for state grants. These municipalities should also be fair game to be sued for negligence for releasing individuals with a detainer who subsequently commit another crime.

It was recently discovered that the Biden Administration has been covertly chartering flights of over 100 illegal aliens into Northeast Pennsylvania. These "ghost" flights are done under the cover of darkness without a flight manifest. No information is available to show if there was vetting and medical checks before the flights. Gov. Tom Wolf stated that Scranton was a mere transfer point but did not specify where passengers were headed and if those destinations would be in Pennsylvania.

Source: Express-Times on 2022 Pennsylvania Gubernatorial race Jan 2, 2022

On Immigration: Place fees on international wire transfers

We can start by placing fees on international wire transfers. International remittances are sums of money electronically sent out of Pennsylvania and into the economies of international destinations. These are primarily utilized by illegals to send money to their home countries. A fee could deter illegals from settling in Pennsylvania and would also generate new revenue to be spent to help American citizens.
Source: Express-Times on 2022 Pennsylvania Gubernatorial race Jan 2, 2022

On Principles & Values: Prayed that God would influence Capitol election protest

He urged his followers to attend the rally at the Capitol that led to the riots, saying, "I'm really praying that God will pour His Spirit upon Washington, D.C., like we've never seen before." He has come to embody a set of beliefs characterized as Christian nationalism, which center on the idea that God intended America to be a Christian nation, and which, when mingled with conspiracy theory and white nationalism, helped to fuel the insurrection.
Source: The New Yorker on 2022 Pennsylvania Gubernatorial race May 9, 2021

On Tax Reform: Elimination of property tax would benefit the economy

Property tax elimination will lead to benefits in other sectors of our economy. The average tax savings of property tax elimination for all homesteads would have the same effect of annual stimulus checks for a household. Increased consumer spending in our Commonwealth grows GDP. Businesses flourish and consumer sales increase with more demand. This growth ultimately leads to more annual money into the coffers of the General Assembly's general fund available for education spending.
Source: Pottstown Mercury on 2022 Pennsylvania Gubernatorial race Feb 4, 2022

On Principles & Values: Spearheaded "forensic investigation" of the 2020 election

Mastriano made an extensive effort to overturn the 2020 election. In late 2020, on social media and in interviews, Mastriano made numerous false claims about supposed election fraud. Behind the scenes, Mastriano sent false claims about supposed fraud to the Justice Department. He also organized a November 2020 hearing in Pennsylvania in which Trump and lawyer Rudy Giuliani made false election claims.

Mastriano's campaign chartered buses to the Trump rally in Washington on January 6, 2021. Mastriano himself was pictured on Capitol grounds during the riot at the Capitol that day. (The FBI subsequently questioned him, according to a source familiar with the interview; Mastriano has not been charged with anything.) Later in 2021, Mastriano spearheaded an effort to begin a so-called "forensic investigation" of the 2020 election in Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania's gubernatorial race is especially important for elections because its governor appoints the secretary of state, the top state elections official.

Source: CNN on 2020 Election Denial: 2022 Pennsylvania Governor race Sep 9, 2022

The above quotations are from 2022 Pennsylvania Gubernatorial race: debates and news coverage.
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Page last updated: Feb 14, 2023