The 2022 Midterms are coming this November and the battleground state of Pennsylvania is getting some national attention. With a 50-50 split in the national senate, both the Democrats and Republicans are eager to take the majority in 2022. As for the governor, there will undoubtedly be a new man living the governor’s mansion at 2035 North Front Street.

2022 Senate Election

As Senator Pat Toomey is not seeking re-election, Mehmet Oz, AKA: “Dr. Oz” is looking to keep the seat for the GOP. His opponent John Fetterman is angling to take down Oz and become the new senator. Dr Oz. became the Republican nominee by less than a thousands votes over Dave McCormick, while Fetterman became the Democratic nominee by winning with a big margin. Dr. Oz is a Washington outsider who rose to fame through his talk show, that had segments on health, wellness and medical information. John Fetterman started his political career as the mayor of Braddock from 2006 through 2019, and he is now the current Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania. Both candidates have bashed each other, with Oz calling Fetterman “socialist,” and Fetterman labeling Oz as a “carpetbagger.” Pre-election polls have Fetterman with around a five percent lead over Oz. The Pennsylvania Senate race is garnering national exposure for being a big battleground state and the major opportunity for a Democratic pickup.

Mehmet Oz Website (LINK HERE)

John Fetterman Website (LINK HERE)

2022 Governor Election

Due to Governor Tom Wolf’s term-limit he is unable to run again in 2022. The challengers are Democratic nominee Josh Shapiro and Republican nominee Doug Mastriano. From early polling, it looked like Lou Barletta would be the Republican nominee, but Mastriano was given the nomination by a comfortable margin. There was some speculation on Democrats boosting Mastriano in the Republican primaries, as they may feel he’d be an easier opponent to face than Barletta in the PA election. Josh Shapiro ran unopposed and was given full confidence by the Democratic Party. Shapiro has a history of winning every election he’s run in and is looking to keep the streak going at the governor level. Most recently, Shapiro is the Attorney General of Pennsylvania. Doug Mastriano is fairly new to politics, but with military experience in the Iraq War and Desert Storm. Most recently, Mastriano is a Member of the Pennsylvania Senate from the 33rd district. Shapiro is expanding on his lead, nearing a 10 percent advantage over Mastriano throughout the middle part of 2022.

Josh Shapiro Website (LINK HERE)

Doug Mastriano Website (LINK HERE)

How will 2022 impact PA’s Senate History?

The Democratic Party has the opportunity to win two consecutive elections for both senate seats, which has not happened for the party since 1944. The Republican Party is trying to hold its ground and keep its streak of winning nine-straight senate elections in Class 3, dating back to 1968.

How will 2022 impact PA’s Governor History?

With a Josh Shapiro victory, the Democrats would make history, by holding the Governor position for more than two terms for the first time in Pennsylvania politics. That achievement has already been done by the Republicans on multiple occasions. From 1861 through 1955, there were three Democrat governors and twenty Republican governors who served in Pennsylvania. Since 1955, that figure was split with six Democrat governors and six Republican governors holding the position.