Democrat Josh Shapiro defeated Republican Doug Mastriano in a consequential open race for governor of Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania's gubernatorial candidates
Shapiro, Pennsylvania's attorney general, ran a campaign focused on the economy, abortion rights, and protecting democracy.
Mastriano, a Republican state senator elected in 2019, received former President Donald Trump's endorsement in the primary and prevailed over a crowded Republican field. But Mastriano was widely expected to fight an uphill battle in the general election against Shapiro.
The previously little-known state senator became popular in conservative circles for elevating Trump's baseless claims that the 2020 election was stolen and leading the efforts in Pennsylvania to challenge the former president's loss in the battleground state. He helped organize transport to the "Save America" rally in Washington, DC, on January 6, which he also attended — but he did not enter the Capitol. As governor, Mastriano would have had the power to appoint Pennsylvania's chief election official.
Mastriano also endorsed an abortion ban after six weeks of pregnancy in Pennsylvania, where the procedure is currently legal until around 24 weeks of pregnancy. If he had won on Tuesday evening, abortion could have become restricted in the Keystone State.
Mastriano's campaign was also criticized as an example of Christian nationalism, which he disputed. He previously said the separation of church and state was a "myth" and that Islam is incompatible with the US Constitution.
Mastriano also deployed a novel campaign strategy of rejecting to speak with local and national media. He instead relied on social media and other far-right platforms to broadcast his message.
In a slew of digital and TV ads, Shapiro slammed Mastriano as an extremist, highlighting his opponent's position on abortion and his ties to far-right figures.
Pennsylvania's voting history
Pennsylvania is a competitive swing state that backed Trump by 1.2 percentage points in the 2016 presidential election. It flipped during the 2020 presidential election, backing President Joe Biden by 1.2 percentage points.
Incumbent Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf, who could not run for another term due to term limits, defeated his GOP gubernatorial opponent Scott Wagner by 17 percentage points in 2018, a Democratic wave year, and unseated GOP Gov. Tom Corbett by nearly 10 percentage points in 2014, a Republican wave year.
The money race
Shapiro vastly outraised and outspent Mastriano. Shapiro spent more than $44 million, and had $11 million still in the bank, while Mastriano had spent less than $3 million, and had $2.6 million left to spend, as of late September, according to the Associated Press.
What experts say
The race between Mastriano and Shapiro was rated as "lean Democratic" by Inside Elections and "likely Democratic" by The Cook Political Report and Sabato's Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics.
