Two of the contests with the most fanfare in the commonwealth this November are the race for governor and senator. In breaking down the battles, there are clear differences between Josh Shapiro and Doug Mastriano.

Mastriano is a retired colonel who served 30 years of active-duty service. In 2019, he was elected to serve as the senator for Pennsylvania’s 33rd District. His greatest focus has been on reopening the state during the pandemic, pushing back on unconstitutional mandates, and being a champion of individual freedom. He’s proclaims himself as the voice of the people.

His policies check all the boxes in terms of a conservative nature, backing the Second Amendment, eliminating “no-excuse” mail-in voting, drop boxes, and passing universal voter ID. He also is anti-abortion.

Shapiro, who has served as state attorney general in 2016, appears to have a bit more balance in his views — while being open to dealing with the media.

Shapiro understands an importance of the natural gas industry in the state, but also believes in beginning a plan to use more renewables. He wants to cut the state cell phone tax and is pro-abortion.

In the race for Senate, John Fetterman is still in the midst recovery from a stroke that has hampered his communication skills, especially in a recent debate this month. Fetterman, however, does have a strong following with a campaign that aims to hold Washington accountable with a focus on cutting taxes for the working people and getting a grip on health-care costs.

Opponent Mehment Oz could be considered a bit of an outsider as he recently moved to the state. His key issues are modernizing health care so it’s more affordable and accessible, fighting for school choice, securing U.S. borders and stopping illegal immigration. He also is critical of how the United States handled COVID-19, noting “America should have been the world leader on how to beat the pandemic. Instead, we were not.”

Though we are not endorsing in these races, we urge readers to be educated on the candidates. Both of those who are elected will be important advocates for this state in the coming years.