FL Gov. Ron DeSantis To Campaign With Doug Mastriano In PA

PENNSYLVANIA — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, whose MAGA-fueled meteoric rise to power and influence in the Republican Party has led many to consider him a favorite for the 2024 presidency, will campaign in Pennsylvania for gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano.

DeSantis will hold a "Unite and Win" rally at a yet-to-be disclosed location in Pittsburgh on Aug. 19 at 4:30 p.m.

The rally, organized by Republican political action committee Turning Point USA, is one of three planned in August for DeSantis to support Republicans in key races. Other events are set for Ohio and Arizona.

Mastriano's Democratic opponent, current Attorney General Josh Shapiro, took note of DeSantis' entry into the campaign. "Pennsylvania, all eyes are on us," Shapiro said. "Let's defeat their extremism, win this election, and refocus on getting things done for our Commonwealth."

According to an average of recent polls from RealClearPolitics, Shapiro maintains a 5.7 point lead over Mastriano.

The location for the event was shared on social media as David L. Lawrence Convention Center in downtown Pittsburgh, but that was changed to unknown days later.

Tickets for the event are now available online. Traditional media outlets have been forbidden from Mastriano's events, and DeSantis has lately followed much the same procedure, arguing during a recent Florida rally that he wouldn't let liberal "legacy" outlets ask other candidates gotcha questions. The Pittsburgh rally says it's accepting applications for press passes but as it's being organized by Turning Point USA, it's not yet clear if the event will mark a departure from Mastriano's own events.

DeSantis' own popularity seems to have brought him on a collision course with Trump for the 2024 Republican presidential primary. Neither Trump, who endorsed DeSantis for Florida governor in 2018, or DeSantis, has yet announced their candidacy. Recent polls show Trump (50.4 percent) remains a clear favorite, but no one is close to the rapidly rising DeSantis (24.6 percent) in second place.