HARRISBURG – Two leaders in Pennsylvania’s Democratic Party are headed to higher office, as Attorney General Josh Shapiro has become the Commonwealth’s Governor-elect, and Lt. Gov. John Fetterman will go on to represent the state in the U.S. Senate.
Shapiro, who defeated Republican candidate and state Sen. Doug Mastriano, ran as a moderate Democrat and on his record as the state’s attorney general, where he helmed cases concerning sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, health care, consumer protection and the opioid epidemic.
In January, he will succeed the incumbent and term-limited Gov. Tom Wolf.
Fetterman
| Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
“I believe this governor’s race was a test of each of us to decide what kind of commonwealth, what kind of country we want to live in. It was a test of whether or not we valued our rights and freedoms and whether we believe in opportunity for all Pennsylvanians. And tonight I humbly stand before you as your governor-elect knowing that you met this moment,” Shapiro said on Tuesday night.
Shapiro’s running mate, state Rep. Austin Davis, will become Pennsylvania’s first Black lieutenant governor when he also takes office in January.
Mastriano, a far right-wing, Christian nationalist candidate who earned the endorsement of former President Donald Trump and contested his loss in the 2020 Presidential Election – while also present at the Jan. 6, 2021 rally held before Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C. – has served in the Pennsylvania Senate since 2019 and prior to his political career, retired at the rank of Colonel after a 30 year-stint in the U.S. Army.
Fetterman, who turned away the challenge of Republican candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz, also offered gratitude to his supporters in the Keystone State.
“This campaign was about fighting for everyone who’s ever gotten knocked down, and had to get back up. This was a race for the future of every community across Pennsylvania. We bet on the people of Pennsylvania, and you didn’t let us down. And I won’t let you down. Thank you,” Fetterman said.
Fetterman, the former mayor of Braddock from 2006-2019, has advocated for health care as a basic human right, abortion rights, immigration and criminal justice reform, cannabis legalization and LGBTQ rights.
Fetterman’s health became a topic of public conversation after he suffered an ischemic stroke in May, and participated in a televised debate with Oz in October during his recovery – where The New York Times commented Fetterman was “showing stroke effects.”
Oz, a television personality, author and former cardiothoracic surgeon, had also received the endorsement of Trump and opposed abortion rights, the Affordable Care Act and cannabis legalization, while advocating for school choice, gun rights and fracking. Oz conceded the race to Fetterman on Wednesday morning.
Fetterman and Oz were contesting for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by longtime Republican Sen. Pat Toomey, who chose not to run for re-election.
Acting Secretary of the Commonwealth Leigh M. Chapman further thanked county election officials and poll workers for their tireless service.
“Election workers are the frontline heroes of our democracy. We are grateful for their work ensuring all eligible Pennsylvanians have access to the ballot and that every vote is counted. 67 counties supported 9,218 polling places where tens of thousands of poll workers worked long hours to ensure Pennsylvanians could vote,” Chapman said.
Chapman also offered gratitude to Pennsylvania’s security partners, including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, the Pennsylvania Department of Homeland Security, the Pennsylvania National Guard, the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, the Pennsylvania State Police and the Office of Information Technology.
“It takes a team to protect democracy. Pennsylvania once again executed a free, fair and secure election,” Chapman said.
Pennsylvania voters requested more than 1.4 million mail-in and absentee ballots in the 2022 Election and as of noon on Tuesday, the counties had reported about 1.15 million were voted and returned. Under state law, mail-in ballots were to be received by 8 p.m on Election Day.
Chapman noted that it will take a few days for unofficial returns to be completed. As counties provide the Department of State with real-time updates of their vote counts, that information will be posted at electionreturns.pa.gov.
Unofficial results are due from the counties by 5 p.m. on Nov. 15.
The subject of Pennsylvania mail-in ballots and their validity continues to be the subject of ongoing litigation at various levels of state and federal judiciary.
From the Pennsylvania Record: Reach Courts Reporter Nicholas Malfitano at nick.malfitano@therecordinc.com