PITTSBURGH — Having survived a last-ditch effort by some GOP officials to assemble around an alternative to his candidacy, state Sen. Doug Mastriano, the Republican nominee for Pennsylvania governor, may soon reap the reward: a united front in his battle against Democrat Josh Shapiro.
In interviews with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette this past week after Mastriano carried more than 40% of the vote in the Republican primary, a handful of party stalwarts — including some who backed his opponents — said they would support the senator's candidacy if it means beating Shapiro in the fall and prying the governor's mansion from Democratic hands.
Political analysts say it's a sign of the times in U.S. politics, as both parties find themselves drifting further apart and becoming more tribal. They'll back Mastriano through gritted teeth because it's better than the alternative, even if it means sacrificing some beliefs, said Christopher Borick, director of the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion.
