A two-term state lawmaker from Lancaster County and longtime local political figure hinted over the weekend that he will soon jump into the crowded Republican primary race for Pennsylvania governor.
State Sen. Scott Martin, of Martic Township, has stayed relatively quiet about his gubernatorial plans since he announced an exploratory committee six months ago.
But in a series of Twitter posts on Sunday, Martin wrote he would have “big news coming soon” as he touted his work ethic along with his personal and political background.
“When the going gets tough, the tough get to work,” he wrote while promoting his campaign website, Martin4PA.com.
He posted a similar message Monday on Facebook. Along with a photo of himself on the football field during his days as a star defensive lineman at Millersville University, he wrote, “From the gridiron to our small business to the Pennsylvania State Senate, I have always WORKED to get the job done. Pennsylvania needs leadership that will tackle our state’s issues head on.”
Martin said when he announced his exploratory committee in June that his self-described “strong conservative record” would appeal to voters.
Over the summer he traveled to county Republican Party events around the state, an important step for candidates to build relationships with the most active GOP officials and party organizers. And at an annual gathering of conservative officials in Harrisburg in June, he was among a lineup of speakers who were considering gubernatorial campaigns.
He has not, however, spoken publicly or in interviews with LNP since then about his plans, and his campaign spokesman declined comment Monday.
Should he enter the 2022 race, Martin would join a wide-open Republican field that has attracted some of the biggest names in state politics.
Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman, the latest to declare his candidacy, is the top Republican lawmaker in Harrisburg and the leader of the Senate GOP Caucus that counts Martin as a member. Two other colleagues in the caucus — state Sens. Doug Mastriano, of Franklin County, and Dan Laughlin, of Erie — were also exploring runs, though Laughlin announced Monday he would not enter the race.
Other names in the running include former congressman and U.S. Senate candidate Lou Barletta, former U.S. Attorney Bill McSwain, former Delaware County Council member Dave White, former U.S. Rep. Melissa Hart, former Chester County Chamber of Commerce leader Guy Ciarrocchi, Pittsburgh attorney Jason Richey and Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Gale. Former House Speaker Mike Turzai also said he may join the fray.
The GOP nominee will likely match up with Josh Shapiro, currently in his second term as state attorney general and the only Democrat in the governor’s race.
Corman and Mastriano could prove to be especially tough challenges for Martin, beyond the awkwardness of all three members of the Senate GOP running for the same position.
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Corman entered the race as one of the party’s most proficient fundraisers and has some statewide name recognition with a 23-year legislative career. Mastriano, a freshman senator and retired U.S. Army colonel, has built a statewide following around his emphatic support for former President Donald Trump and his quest to overturn Joe Biden’s victory in Pennsylvania last year.
Martin supported Trump in both his presidential campaigns and called on Congress to reject Pennsylvania’s presidential electors in 2020. But he has not been among the most fervent voices in 2021 calling for another complete election audit.
His campaign website focuses instead on traditional conservative policies like cutting government spending, eliminating property taxes, job creation and shrinking the size of the Legislature.
Laughlin, Martin’s colleague who dropped out of the running this week, openly criticized the Senate’s ongoing election “investigation.” A more moderate Republican candidate than others in the race, Laughlin told the Erie Times News he had a hard time raising enough money for a successful campaign. He said he would’ve needed to raise up to $400,000 by now but had only $125,000 in the bank.
Martin’s political action committee had only $39,499 in the bank as of Nov. 22, according to his latest campaign filing. His $8,594 in expenses from late October to late November included several flights for “political travel.”
Martin has represented the southern half of Lancaster County in the state Senate since 2017. He was previously a two-term county commissioner and directed the county’s Youth Intervention Center. He won reelection handily in 2020 despite being targeted by Democrats who poured more than $1 million into his opponent’s campaign.
