GOP gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano decries crime, covid shutdowns at Bethel Park rally

Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano rallied Wednesday evening in Bethel Park and went on the offensive against his opponent, Democrat Josh Shapiro, blaming him for rising crime rates and shutdowns early in the pandemic.

“The problem is Josh Shapiro and how he blindly followed the (Gov. Tom Wolf) administration. He has blood on his hands,” said Mastriano, referencing rising crime rates under Shapiro’s tenure as attorney general. He then blamed Shapiro for Philadelphia’s homicide rate doubling over the past two years.

The rally before more than 300 supporters featured a bevy of local Republican leaders, as well as former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson and former WTAE anchor Wendy Bell.

Bell spoke about Mastriano’s rise in popularity among conservatives during the beginning of the pandemic and his support for ending the shutdowns. She also applauded the Mastriano campaign for having canvassers go door to door to check how many people voted in the past election.

The campaign event started with a Christian prayer and focused on issues of rising crime, covid policies, inflation and education, while also lauding conservative criticisms of trans athletes in schools.

Mastriano’s rally was a part of his Restore Freedom tour that is criss-crossing the state to close out the campaign. He said he wanted Pennsylvanians to “walk as free people,” and he criticized Shapiro for supporting Wolf around pandemic shutdowns and education policy.

He railed against transgender scholastic sports and gender-inclusive bathrooms. He said, if elected, he would make sure there are “no more boys on the girls team, no more boys in the girls bathroom.”

Carson defended Mastriano from some of the attacks he has received, pushing back against a narrative that his is too extreme.

“They have been calling him all kinds of names, that he is right-wing extremist. What a bunch of crap,” Carson said. “He is extremely concerned at what is happening in this country.”

Mastriano has been criticized for paying for consultation services to Gab, a social media platform popular with white supremacists, including the alleged Tree of Life mass shooter.

“How do you respond to someone saying you are antisemitic?” Mastriano said. “You are the defense. You can’t respond.”

Later in the speech, Mastriano talked about wanting to move Pennsylvania into an economic renaissance by increasing natural gas production, building pipelines and supporting a liquified natural gas facility in the Delaware Bay, so the state can more easily export its natural gas to Europe.

Carrie DelRosso, who is running for lieutenant governor with Mastriano, said the campaign wants to focus on inflation, education policies and “how these leftists have tried to silence us as people.”

She encouraged everyone in the audience to help the Republican get out the vote effort.

“Now is when we need to get people to the polls,” said DelRosso, an Oakmont resident.

Election Day is Tuesday.