Gubernatorial candidate Mastriano makes campaign stop at fair

Aug. 3—COCHRANTON — "We really are at a crossroads," Doug Mastriano, told a crowd of about 250 supporters.

Mastriano, a state senator from Franklin County and the Republican Party's nominee for Pennsylvania governor, made about an hour-long campaign stop at the Cochranton Community Fair on Tuesday night.

"The other side has the media in their pockets working for them," Mastriano said in reference to Josh Shapiro, the state's attorney general and the Democratic Party's nominee for governor in the Nov. 8 election.

However, Mastriano would not speak to a Meadville Tribune reporter when asked both before and after his speech. He only smiled and walked away each time. A campaign volunteer who wouldn't give his name said Mastriano didn't have time for questions.

"All I do know is we stand on the side of freedom-loving Americans we want our dang country back," Mastriano said to the crowd which was met with applause.

Mastriano said he was against mask mandates and business shutdowns that occurred during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"It's funny, they want to call us extremists. They're the extremists," Mastriano said of his opponent. "I would never in any world deem that I have the power to shut down your business. I would never in any world think that I have the power to mask up your kids for years."

In the state Legislature, Mastriano is an author of Senate Bill 378 of 2021. The proposed legislation would require physicians — before proceeding with an abortion — to determine whether the baby has a heartbeat. There are no exceptions after a fetal heartbeat is detected.

The bill was referred to the state Senate's Health and Human Services Committee in March 2021 and still awaits action.

Under his administration if elected governor, Mastriano said shipping terminals to export Pennsylvania's natural gas would be built in Erie and Philadelphia to "supply New England and the world."

"On Day One, environmental regulation would be rolled back," he continued. "We can do it safe. I want a safe environment."

Mastriano said he'd push for election reform legislation as governor.

"We're gonna get some serious reforms so when you go vote, you're gonna know your vote counts," he said.

Mastriano also said any mandates regarding vaccines or masking would be done away with.

Of the campaign itself, Mastriano said "Democrats are doing all they can to fearmonger and to lie" about him.

"Those ridiculous ads out there — stitching together words I did or did not say," he claimed.

He urged his supporters not to go on the defensive when talking about the campaign, but "talk about what they've done. Talk about how radical they are."

"Such as men in girls' sports, men in girls' bathrooms, teaching our kids in school to hate their country," Mastriano said.

Mastriano said his administration would face challenges under the current economy, "but when we open up the energy sector and roll back all these regulations" Pennsylvania would move forward.

Following the candidate's speech, supporters said they liked what they had heard.

"I'm looking to get back to common sense of government," Rich Hayes of Meadville said. "Hopefully, he can cut back taxes and relieve the burden on property tax." Hayes said he was in favor of seeing more of a use-based tax system that would extend Pennsylvania's 6 percent sales tax to items that now are exempt such as clothing and food, "if it would reduce the burden on property tax."

Marj Gray of Oil City was supporting Mastriano because "I don't like being told what to do," she said. "I think it was BS when we were locked down with masks."

Keith Gushard can be reached at (814) 724-6370 or by email at .