August 30, 2022Press Releases

NEWS: More Republican Leaders Endorse Josh Shapiro for Governor

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August 30, 2022

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In NEWS: More Republican Leaders Endorse Josh Shapiro for Governor

Second wave of Republican leaders are breaking with extremist Doug Mastriano to support Josh Shapiro.

PENNSYLVANIA – Today, the coalition of Republican leaders supporting Attorney General Josh Shapiro’s campaign for Governor of Pennsylvania is growing – with seven Republican leaders announcing their endorsement of Shapiro over Doug Mastriano. This news comes after a group of nine GOP leaders endorsed Shapiro last month, in a testament to Josh’s ability to bring people together and build a strong coalition of Republicans, Democrats, and Independents.

This group of Republican endorsers for Shapiro includes the former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security under President George W. Bush, former Pennsylvania State Senators and Representatives, and the former District Attorney of Bucks County.

Since the first group of Republicans endorsed his campaign, Josh has campaigned on his plans to bring people together to get things done for Pennsylvania – like growing the economy by reducing taxes, cutting red tape, and investing in innovation. At the same time, Doug Mastriano has come under heavy criticism for paying Gab thousands of dollars to recruit antisemitic extremists to join his campaign, doubling down on “incredibly problematic” antisemitic tropes, and recruiting armed members of antigovernment militia groups to serve as “security” at his events.

Just last week, Reuters broke the news that during the 2013-14 academic year, Doug Mastriano posed for a faculty photo at the U.S. Army War College in a Confederate military uniform – the Army War College has taken down the photo and said Mastriano’s behavior “does not meet Army War College values.”

“I am proud to receive the endorsement of these Republican leaders who are putting our Commonwealth ahead of partisan politics in order to come together and move Pennsylvania forward,” said Attorney General Josh Shapiro. “From cutting taxes and getting our economy moving again, to improving our schools and keeping our communities safe, I know we can work together to get things done for Pennsylvania. I have always worked to bring Republicans and Democrats together – and that’s exactly what I will continue to do in this campaign and as Governor.”

“I dedicated my career in public service to upholding the rule of law and defending the Constitution. Right now, we all have a responsibility to support candidates of whichever party who will stand up and defend our democracy. Although I am a long-standing Republican, I am deeply troubled by Doug Mastriano’s embrace of dangerous extremism,” said former United States Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff. “Josh Shapiro, on the other hand, is a staunch defender of our democratic institutions and will lead Pennsylvania with honor and integrity. I am proud to support his campaign for Governor.”

“In his years in public service, Josh Shapiro has always led with integrity, bringing people together and fighting for the best interests of Pennsylvanians,” said Mario Civera, former State Representative and Chair of the Delaware County Council. “Josh’s priorities are clear – boosting our economy, making our communities safer, and fixing our schools – and he has the leadership to get it all done by working with both parties. I am proud to endorse Josh Shapiro, and I look forward to working to get him elected as our next Governor.”

“I watched Josh Shapiro lead PCCD and now the Attorney General’s Office, and he has always found and hit the important targets – taking guns and drug dealers off the street, creating ways to build stronger communities served by better trained and better supported police. Josh is smart, principled and driven to actually make a difference and he has stood with the law enforcement professionals of Pennsylvania during these troubled times,” said former Bucks County District Attorney David Heckler. “Josh has a proven ability to bring together qualified people from across party lines to accomplish important work. Although I am a Republican, I consider Mr. Mastriano to be completely out of his league. He is ill informed, divisive and unworthy to be Governor of this Commonwealth. I am proud to support Josh Shapiro and I am confident he will lead Pennsylvania well.”

The Republican leaders who are endorsing Josh today include:

Michael Chertoff, Former United States Secretary of Homeland Security
Mario Civera, Former PA State Representative and Chair of the Delaware County Council, Delaware County
David Heckler, Former Bucks County District Attorney, PA State Senator, and PA State Representative, Bucks County
Raymond Bunt Jr., Former PA State Representative, Montgomery County
Jim Kelly, Former PA State Representative and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce, Allegheny County
Beverly Mackereth, Former PA State Representative, Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare, York County
J. Scot Chadwick, Former PA State Representative, Bradford County

From day one, Josh Shapiro has been bringing people of all political stripes together around his positive vision for Pennsylvania. As he works to continue building this broad coalition of support all across the Commonwealth, Shapiro is focused on his top priorities to move Pennsylvania forward: cutting taxes and creating jobs, fixing Pennsylvania’s schools and ensuring all students receive a quality education, and keeping our communities safe.

Throughout this campaign, Josh Shapiro will continue working hard to keep earning the support of Republicans, Democrats, and Independents alike in order to bring people together and move Pennsylvania forward.

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