Pennsylvania Democratic gubernatorial nominee Josh Shapiro raised $25.4 million from June 7 to Sept. 19, entering the final stretch of his campaign against underfunded Republican nominee Doug Mastriano with $10.9 million in the bank, the Washington Examiner has confirmed.
Shapiro, the sitting state attorney general, is favored to defeat Mastriano, a state senator, in a key swing state despite President Joe Biden’s low job approval ratings and a midterm political environment that favors the Republicans. Shapiro’s superior war chest is not the only reason, but it could help him cement victory on Nov. 8 and hold off any late surge by Mastriano.
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That is due in part to the Republican nominee’s paltry third-quarter fundraising report.
During the same June 7–Sept. 19 period in which Shapiro raised $25.4 million, Mastriano collected just $3.2 million, according to Gillian McGoldrick, the Harrisburg bureau chief for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Indeed, while the Shapiro campaign spent $27.9 million over the past three months, Mastriano campaign expenditures totaled just under $1 million.
Shapiro has raised more than $50 million for his gubernatorial bid, which his campaign emphasizes is more than any candidate for governor in the history of the commonwealth. The previous record-holder for money raised was Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell. The former governor raised $42.2 million for his 2002 campaign.
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Meanwhile, the Shapiro campaign has reserved or spent $35 million for television advertising for the state attorney general’s 2022 run, while Mastriano, who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump, has spent or reserved absolutely $0.
Shapiro leads Mastriano 51.3% to 42.3% in the RealClearPolitics polling average.
