Trump-Backed Mastriano Sees Rally Attended by Just Dozens of People

Doug Mastriano, the Donald Trump-endorsed Republican candidate for Pennsylvania governor, held a rally outside the State Capitol in Harrisburg over the weekend that was attended by just a few dozen people.

Mastriano, a far-right election denier who was present at the "stop the steal" protest in Washington, D.C., on January 6, spoke at the sparsely attended event on Saturday in front of around 50 to 60 people.

According to The New York Times, about half of those who watched Mastriano speak were volunteers from his own campaign team.

The low attendance was seen as a for Mastriano's struggling attempt to win over voters ahead of November's midterms. The Republican has been heavily outspent by his Democratic rival Josh Shapiro in terms of campaign funding, with Mastriano not paying for any television ads for several months.

Crucially, Shapiro is also beating Mastriano in all recent polls, including by double digits in some cases. A Marist poll conducted between September 19 and 22 among 1,356 adults found that 53 percent backed Shapiro, compared to 40 percent who said they would support Mastriano for Pennsylvania governor.

When Mastriano spoke in front of his supporters, the state senator said that his campaign was a "vision for Pennsylvania in one word: freedom."

"On day one 'woke' is broke. On day one critical race theory will no longer be taught in Pennsylvania schools. On day one no more boys on the girls' team. We stand with female athletes," Mastriano said, via The Huffington Post. "On day one, no more boys in the girls' bathroom. We stand with the young ladies and their safety."

Mastriano quickly left the scene of the rally soon after delivering his speech, entering a waiting vehicle that drove him away before he could answer any questions.

The Pennsylvania gubernatorial race was seen as one of the most consequential in the upcoming midterms due to Mastriano's extremist background and plans to bring in new voting restrictions in the key swing state.

However, the Republican, who also opposes abortions under all circumstances, is struggling to appeal to the general voters with just a few weeks to go before November's vote.

Mastriano is also failing to get the backing of key GOP groups, with the Republican Governors Association reportedly indicating they will not be assisting with his campaign.

"I can't even assess things because I don't see a campaign," Matt Brouillette, president of the influential Pennsylvania-based advocacy group Commonwealth Partners Chamber of Entrepreneurs, told The New York Times. "I've not seen anything that is even a semblance of a campaign.

"Now, maybe he knows something we don't on how you can win in the fifth-largest state without doing TV or mail. But I guess we're going to have to wait until November 8 to see whether you can pull something like that off."

Following Saturday's poorly attended rally, Manuel Bonder, a spokesman for the Shapiro campaign, told the HuffPost: "It's clear that Doug Mastriano's desperate campaign is flailing as Pennsylvanians come together to reject his radical extremism."

Mastriano has been contacted for comment.