Pennsylvania state Sen. Doug Mastriano is skipping the 2026 elections, blasting the state’s political climate in a sharply worded open letter as he sidelines himself from the next statewide fight.
Mastriano, who represents Chambersburg, Gettysburg and McSherrystown, rose to prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic by leading resistance to lockdowns imposed under then-Gov. Tom Wolf, policies often enforced through litigation by then-Attorney General Josh Shapiro and Wolf administration officials, including then-Health Secretary Rachel Levine and Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding.
The retired Army colonel and Desert Storm veteran confirmed to Fox News Digital late Wednesday that he will not seek the Republican nomination for governor, despite vocal backing from conservatives. His decision clears the way for state Treasurer Stacy Garrity to emerge as a leading contender.
“God has not called us to run for governor in this season,” Mastriano said. “Maybe 2028. Maybe 2030. But not now. That does not mean we are stepping away.”
In an accompanying “Open Letter to the People of Pennsylvania” shared with Fox News Digital, Mastriano took aim at Shapiro and intraparty critics while vowing that his “Walk As Free People” movement, born during the lockdowns, is here to stay.
“[Doug] and his wife Rebbie remain committed to leading and strengthening the grassroots conservative movement across the Commonwealth,” Mastriano added in a statement.
“This movement was never about one person or one campaign,” Mastriano said in a statement issued from Gettysburg. “It has always been about faith, freedom, and the people of Pennsylvania.”
Since the lockdowns, Mastriano and allied lawmakers have staged rallies and protests across the state, from the small town of Jerome outside Johnstown to the steps of the Capitol in Harrisburg. Supporters often wore “Walk as Free People” or “Mastriano’s Army” shirts and even held picnics in a lockdown-resistant township outside Lancaster.
Mastriano noted that although he lost to Shapiro in 2022, the race produced the highest Republican turnout since 1962 and netted 29,000 ballot signatures. Supporters also claimed he was on track to become the first GOP gubernatorial nominee since Gov. Dick Thornburgh to win a primary without party intervention.
“He further challenged Republican Party leadership, rejecting what he described as ‘backroom deals’ and ‘premature endorsements,’ and said future candidates must earn support directly from voters,” the open letter said.
Mastriano reserved some of his sharpest criticism for Shapiro, calling his administration a “machine… corrupt and riddled with scandal, propped up by Hollywood elites and out-of-state billionaires who neither understand Pennsylvania nor respect its values.”
“Josh Shapiro is not strong, not serious, and not fit to lead,” Mastriano said, adding that former Vice President Kamala Harris “distanced herself” from Shapiro during vetting for a running mate before choosing Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
He also lashed out at the media, accusing reporters of having “spent years trying to destroy [the Walk as Free People] movement while admitting they gave Shapiro a free pass.”
