Election denier and far-right state Sen. Doug Mastriano refused to concede the gubernatorial race in Pennsylvania late Tuesday, despite most major networks calling him the loser before midnight.
Pennsylvania’s Democratic Attorney General Josh Shapiro had a gargantuan lead of more than 11 points over Mastriano with about 80 percent of votes counted by midnight, according to the Associated Press. Most major outlets called the race for Shapiro, including AP, NBC News, Fox News, and CNN.
But Mastriano wasn’t having it. “There’s about 30 percent of the votes still to go, we’ve got a ways to go,” he told supporters. “Have faith, we’re gonna, uh, of course, we’re gonna have faith and have patience. We’re gonna wait until every vote counts, right?”
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Shapiro, meanwhile, claimed victory. “Your votes... stood up to the extremism that has taken root in some parts of our society,” he told supporters at his Election Night party.
Shapiro ran a largely uneventful campaign, branding himself as a moderate and pragmatic option compared to Mastriano, whose positions frequently resided on the fringe-right side of Republican politics. By avoiding anything spicy or controversial, Shapiro steadily built a solid lead in the polls heading up to Election Day.
Shapiro’s placid bid stood in stark contrast to his opponent, who made news on a near-weekly basis despite a refusal to speak to the mainstream press. Mastriano found himself on the defensive due to his ties to right-wing extremists and other fringe beliefs throughout the general election.
Mastriano had been endorsed by former President Donald Trump in the state’s gubernatorial primary and remained tightly aligned with Trump throughout the general election cycle, including in-person campaigning with the former president.
After the downfall of Roe v. Wade this summer, Shapiro will likely play a key role in preserving abortion access in the state—one of the many areas where he and Mastriano differed on policy.
Mastriano vowed to “sign the Heartbeat bill into law, end funding to Planned Parenthood, and expand counseling for adoption services.”
Shapiro will succeed Gov. Tom Wolf, a fellow Democrat who is term-limited.
