HARRISBURG - Josh Shapiro, Pennsylvania's Democratic nominee for governor, has smashed the state’s 2-decade-old campaign spending record as he competes against Republican Doug Mastriano, who was on track to spend less than a tenth as much.The race between Shapiro and Mastriano may test how powerful that campaign spending is in one of the nation’s highest-profile races for governor.
One candidate has spent more money than any other gubernatorial nominee ever in Pennsylvania, and the other has spent less than any other in at least the past two decades.The money raised by Shapiro has enabled him to run TV ads every day dating to April, helping him lead in polling since the race began.
In recent days, Mastriano began running his first TV ad since he won the GOP primary in May, even as he complains that the national party isn't coming to his help.Mastriano still predicts victory and touts his campaign as an unrivaled grassroots operation, but he also acknowledges that he is being hammered in the race for donations."There’s a lot of well-meaning people out there that have never run for office or a statewide campaign that have all this great advice: ‘You need run more TV ads,’" Mastriano told a conservative radio show host on Friday. "OK, that’s a great idea, how about if you donate and help us do that?"All told, Shapiro has outspent Mastriano by 16 to 1 in the 2021-22 campaign cycle, according to campaign finance filings through the state's latest reporting deadline of Sept.
19.Shapiro has reported $44 million in spending, including in-kind contributions, eclipsing the 2001-02 campaign spending record set by Democrat Ed Rendell of just under $42 million.