PA GOP Gov. Candidate Doug Mastriano Spending $0 on TV Ads as DeSantis Attempts to Help Him Fundraise

Photo by Jeff Swensen/Getty Images

Republican candidate for Pennsylvania governor Doug Mastriano continues to trail his Democratic opponent Josh Shapiro in the polls, but he’s really fallen behind in one campaign metric: television advertising spending.

Mastriano, like many GOP candidates supported by former President Donald Trump, has voiced a strong disdain for mainstream media outlets, but his lack of investment in television airtime is remarkable. According to a report by McClatchy DC’s David Catanese, there is a “gaping advertising disparity” between Mastriano and Shapiro, with the Republican’s last TV ad airing on May 16, the day before the primary. Moreover, Mastriano has “reserved no air time for the final 60 days of the general election, when TV wars between candidates traditionally reach their peak.”

During the primary, he spent only $123,000 on radio ads and $330,000 on cable TV ads.

In comparison, Shapiro, who currently serves as the Keystone State’s attorney general, is set to spend nearly $29 million on ads for both broadcast and cable between April and November.

In Catanese’s analysis, the final tally may end up even higher as Shapiro’s well-funded campaign war chest grows in the run up to the general election. Currently, the Democrat has allocated $4.4 million in September, over $5 million in October, and $1.5 million in the last week before Election Day on Nov. 8.

One notable ally for Mastriano is Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), who included Pennsylvania on his recent campaign trail stops to help rally votes and fundraising for several unapologetically MAGA Republicans in what many political observers assessed as an early effort to shore up support for the Florida governor’s widely anticipated 2024 presidential run. The rally with DeSantis, sponsored by Turning Point USA, featured the typical enthusiastic crowd that’s a trademark of the Trump era but Mastriano has shown little sign of being able to catch up with Shapiro’s fundraising prowess.

Mastriano’s campaign declined multiple requests for comment. Some of his supporters are expressing concern about his absence from the airwaves:

“There’s been no indication he’s raised enough money, especially in southeastern Pennsylvania, where it’s expensive to run television,” said Jim Schultz, a Philadelphia attorney who served as general counsel to former GOP Gov. Tom Corbett and has endorsed Shapiro. “I think the lack of support for Mastriano is unprecedented and warranted.”

It’s a risky strategy for the general election, with the Pennsylvanian television market divided among half a dozen expensive local markets across the state, as well as large areas being covered by out-of-state outlets in Washington, D.C. and other neighboring metro areas.

Polls have consistently shown Shapiro to be steadily holding a lead from 3 to 11 points since June, with the current Real Clear Politics average as Shapiro +6, and Mastriano’s television silence means Shapiro has been able to lob unanswered attacks, with several recent ads focusing on the Republican’s past controversial comments and political positions.

Still, there’s a while to go before November, and Shapiro is by no means guaranteed a win. Cook Political Report rates the Pennsylvania gubernatorial race as “Lean D.” RCP has it as a “Toss Up” and shows that the Democrat’s lead in many of those polls was within or just outside the margin of victory.