Pennsylvania is ready to elect a “People’s Governor” on May 17 in the upcoming primary election. The popular support for Colonel and Pennsylvania state Sen. Doug Mastriano is unmatched in the Republican primary governor’s race. Mastriano is in a league of his own — attracting crowds big enough to hold rallies every month across the entire state with over a thousand supporters at each rally.

‘Doug4Gov’ is truly a grassroots campaign and recently set a record for submitting the highest number of petitions or signatures needed for a candidate to make the ballot. Mastriano appeals to people in a unique and very real way by making it clear that he will never be a politician and has a commonsense approach to leadership.

Colonel Mastriano is continuously gaining attention and notable endorsements from Michael Flynn, Trump’s National Security Adviser; Jenna Ellis, member of Trump’s legal team for the 2020 election results; and Liz Harrington, Trump’s former spokeswoman, along with many others.

Heading into this governor’s race, Mastriano has been prepared to face the opposition and has not been rattled by it. Being a non-politically correct candidate while also being the front-runner in the Republican primary for Pennsylvania governor, he is a target for the opposition, including Republicans.

Doug Mastriano’s past record and present action affirm who he is and what he has done. The two most important questions he believes are necessary to ask his opponents are: “Where have you been the past two years?” and “What have you done?” Over the last several years, Mastriano has been actively fighting for Pennsylvanians. He has been demanding transparency and election integrity from the 2020 election by challenging voter fraud in Pennsylvania and the 2020 election results. Also, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Mastriano was a top advocate for reopening Pennsylvania.

Mastriano’s trademark is proudly wearing spurs on his shoes that he earned from his achievements in the military along with his signature ‘Desert Storm Veteran’ hat with military insignia. Being the son of a career U.S. Navy man, his lifelong dream was to serve in the military, which he did for more than 30 years as a combat veteran and attained the highly respected position of Colonel.

He began his military service on the Iron Curtain in West Germany. After the attacks on 9/11, he served four years with NATO and was deployed three times to Afghanistan where he was the director of the Joint Intelligence Center. Mastriano completed his career as a Professor of the U.S. Army War College, and retired from active duty after four combat tours and more than three decades of esteemed and decorated service with the United States Army.

After retiring from the military, Mastriano couldn’t stand to watch what was happening in our country. He once again made the decision to serve in another capacity by being elected as Franklin County Pennsylvania State Senator in 2019.

Mastriano’s passion about the issues our state and country are currently facing is evident. He is a strong supporter of protecting life, the Second Amendment, and traditional family values, including religious liberties, parental rights, and educational choice. He is a firm opponent of critical race theory (CRT) and COVID-19 mandates. He also believes that utilizing Pennsylvania’s natural energy resources has the potential to boost Pennsylvania’s economy and benefit other states’ access to energy.

Faith, family and freedom define the man who is Mastriano. Doug’s decision to run for governor was God-directed and answered after much prayer. Doug is also a family man with his wife, Rebbie, by his side as his teammate and constant source of support. His son, Jeremiah, is following in his father’s footsteps with his own military service. Lastly, Colonel Mastriano fought on the front lines to defend our freedom, and as a Pennsylvania State Senator he is an unwavering advocate for this God-given right.

‘Doug4Gov’s’ campaign slogan is “Walk as Free People,” based on the Biblical quote John 8:36: “If the Son sets you free, you are free indeed.” After all, faith and freedom are the values our country was founded upon. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is our nation’s birthplace and the symbol of liberty and freedom. It is our duty as Pennsylvania citizens to elect a governor who will lead the Keystone state by setting the standard for America as the ‘Land of the Free.’

Melissa Reed of Wyomissing, Pa., is former Republican National Committee/Trump Victory Pennsylvania Press Secretary and Former Trump Campaign Staff Member and Director of Photography Operations.