Mastriano will face stiff competition from Stacy Garrity, the incumbent State Treasurer who recently received the most votes of any GOP statewide candidate.
State Senator Doug Mastriano (R‑Franklin), who lost to Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro by nearly 15 points in the 2022 election, appears increasingly poised for a comeback bid for Pennsylvania’s governorship in 2026.
In recent weeks, Mastriano has used social media—specifically X—to float campaign branding, including polling followers on potential logos and reposting endorsements from the 2022 race from figures like President Donald Trump and FBI Director Kash Patel. While he has not formally declared, Mastriano says he is “close to entering” the 2026 race and will decide “on my timeline,” resisting pressure from GOP insiders seeking an early endorsement in September. As of late July 2025, Mastriano has not formally declared. But his escalating social media activity and consistent messaging suggest he is inching closer.
Pennsylvania Republican leaders are split over Mastriano’s resurgence. Many worry that nominating him again could cost the GOP down‑ballot races. Republican strategist Josh Novotney told Politico that Mastriano’s return could jeopardize vulnerable House seats, calling him “a nightmare that no one wants.” Mastriano responded to Novotney’s quote dismissively, saying he has a direct line to Trump and disputes the assertion that Trump is hesitant to back him again. However, Trump advisers are reportedly reluctant to re‑endorse him, signaling that his candidacy may be more polarizing than unifying.
Doug Mastriano launches website for possible bid for Pennsylvania governor. https://t.co/gGDCu8MvGG
— Politics & Poll Tracker 📡 (@PollTracker2024) July 29, 2025
In 2023, the prospect of Mastriano running the United States Senate seat ultimately won by Republican Dave McCormick was enough to worry Trump’s political team about sinking the rest of the GOP ballot, including Trump in his third run for President.
GOP insiders are leaning toward coalescing around a different candidate: State Treasurer Stacy Garrity. She holds the record for most votes of any statewide Republican candidate in Pennsylvania and is seen by many establishment figures as a far stronger general‑election contender. Several prominent western Pennsylvania Republican women are backing Garrity, who has yet to formally announce her candidacy.
Mastriano argues he learned key lessons from 2022—most notably, the failure to embrace mail‑in and early voting, which he now says cost him the election. Inspired by the late Gov. Bob Casey Sr., who won after multiple attempts, he told the Philadelphia Inquirer he has a strategy mapped out and will only run if he believes it’s winnable.
Mastriano also distanced himself from party insiders, whom he accuses of trying to “clear the field” in advance of the primary. “They’re not going to clear the field of me,” he asserts, promising a grassroots campaign across all 67 counties.
Another potential Republican contender in the 2026 race is Scott Martin, state senator who has not ruled out a candidacy. Congressman Dan Meuser, who Trump pledged to support if he ran, declined to run for governor. The party plans to officially endorse a nominee by September, a move Mastriano firmly opposes.
Despite losing in 2022, Mastriano still received over 2.2 million votes—the most any Republican gubernatorial candidate has garnered in decades. Yet the risk remains that a Mastriano nomination could drag the party down in tight House races. Republicans point to losses in 2022 attributed to his candidacy and express concern about high-turnout suburban districts. Some fear Mastriano’s appearance at the Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack will turn off swing voters and independents.
The GOP’s endorsement process is underway and is expected to favor Garrity when she officially jumps in within weeks, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. Mastriano, meanwhile, frames his potential run as a populist uprising against party insiders—a narrative likely to resonate with his supporters. It could lead to a classic showdown between its grassroots and establishment wings—a fractured primary that could define Pennsylvania’s 2026 political landscape. A showdown now looms over whether Mastriano can consolidate enough support to both win the nomination and avoid damage to Republicans’ down‑ballot prospects.
