It has been three days since the election, and the results of the Pennsylvania governor and U.S. Senate race were known almost immediately. While the final results for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives are not yet in, it does not look promising for Republicans. After two and a half years of government overreach, this should have been one of the most successful elections for Republicans in recent history. Clearly, that was not the case, and still there is no statement from Lawrence Tabas, the Chair of the Pennsylvania Republican Party.
The contrast between the election results in New York and Pennsylvania is concerning. New York had to hit rock bottom before real change could occur. The New York Republican Party needed to crash in order to rebuild such that it could again produce real wins. Indeed, New York may be the reason for the anticipated Republican majority, however narrow, in the U.S. House.
Pennsylvania hasn’t hit rock bottom yet, but based on these election results, it’s getting closer. Electoral failure despite the various and competing crime, inflation, education, and health crises inflicted upon us by Governor Wolf and his ilk apparently have not been bad enough to make the Republican Party a viable alternative to voters, particularly in the most populous regions in the commonwealth.
READ MORE — The Editors: Pennsylvania Republicans — Are you tired of winning yet?
In our recently published opinion piece, we explained the grueling effort a candidate has to endure to run for office. Even before the candidates are able to speak with the voters, they are put through a process of calling and building relationships with over 300 state committee people, traveling the state to each caucus to convince them they are the best candidate. They kiss the rings of party leaders, pay for the dinners, write checks to get in the door of each party soirée, and typically get told they are not conversative “enough,” whatever that means. When the party refuses to endorse anyone at the end of this, the effort is all for naught. It is an exorbitant waste of precious resources.
Tabas disappointed many committee people, volunteers, voters, and Pennsylvanians with his lack of leadership, particularly over the last year. His job is to get Republicans elected, and the only way to do that is by ensuring that the most conservative and most electable candidate wins the primary and advances to the general election.
In the political world, bringing the state committee together is referred to as “whipping votes.” It is the same process that a candidate follows while they are calling and building relationships with the State Committee. The chairman is responsible for ensuring that the elected state committee members, candidates, and party are headed in the right direction. His job is to bring the party together and understand the real issues around the commonwealth. He must make the case to all Pennsylvanians that the GOP ticket and concomitant policy prescriptions will do the most good for the most Pennsylvanians most of the time.
Chairman Tabas made the decision to not stand up and unite the party, the candidates, the voters, or the commonwealth. He avoided the difficult, but natural divides in the Republican party between the hardline conservatives, the establishment moderates, and more independent-minded patriots who reject progressive orthodoxy. His lack of leadership and inability to coalesce a governing coalition cost Pennsylvanians, and by extension the nation, the election at every level.
As the old saying goes, elections have consequences. Now is the time for a changing of the guard.
Open seats from the U.S. Senate, governor, lieutenant governor, Congress, and the state legislature had exceptional people run because they were disgusted with what the likes of Tom Wolf, John Fetterman, Jim Kenney, and Larry Krasner did to our city and commonwealth over two and a half years.
Men and women, moms and dads, grandparents, and business owners all sacrificed their time and energy to fight for our state. They stood up to tyranny and expected that the Republican Party would support their efforts and message. Yet Chairman Tabas was virtually invisible when and where it mattered most.
Many of the Republican candidates in the southeast were destined for a loss because the drag at top of the ticket was insurmountable.
Southeast Pennsylvania accounts for 40 percent of the state’s voters. While the region may not have the same influence it once did in GOP primaries, it is ground zero for winning the general election. Democrat Josh Shapiro had a message curated to win the region — and a party apparatus that helped him to victory.
Three days after the election and there’s still no word from Chairman Tabas. Our children have suffered and continue to suffer. Our businesses suffered and continue to suffer. Families wonder whether their children are safe to walk to school or if they can afford to put food on their tables. Parents wonder if schools will close again this winter or if children will be forced to mask up again. And still, no word from Chairman Tabas.
As the old saying goes, elections have consequences. Now is the time for a changing of the guard. As women, as moms, as Pennsylvanians, we are asking you, Lawrence Tabas, step down and let someone who is willing to lead step up.
Horsham resident Clarice Schillinger was a 2022 candidate for Pennsylvania lieutenant governor. She hosts the “Moms in the Middle” podcast with Beth Ann Rosica.
Beth Ann Rosica holds a Ph.D. in Education and has dedicated her career advocating on behalf of underserved children and families. She owns a consulting business and lives with her family in West Chester, Pa.
Again,
RINOS will not win anymore… nobody wants them in office. They are basically the same as the dem party….they are useless… where is the fire in the gut? Their leadership? THEIR OUTRAGE FOR INJUSTICE??? NOWHERE..
Why? Because…
THEY ARE CONTROLLED….
MAGA CANDIDATES WIN… they are taking over the House of Reps in DC.. GOODBYE NANCY..
Its time to be loud, tell the truth, and stand for something.
Toss the milk toast, and the milk toast leaders.
A lap dog makes a terrible guard dog.
Lady Jane- those “RINOS” are Republicans in districts that aren’t +25 R. They run on messages that have to appeal to the middle.
Self-righteous Republicans in solid R districts and Republicans who live in Dem districts that will never get more than 40% of the vote but have never actually worked on a campaign talk like you. Ignorant.
Support the big tent. Stop being ignorant. SE voters want an alternative to Democrat policies, but the MAGA candidates have been rejected – multiple times.
Lady Jane
Please name the MAGA candidates who won in PA?
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/republican-party-dead-after-major-midterm-election-losses-arizona-pennsylvania-nevada-hawley
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-touts-tremendous-success-for-endorsed-candidates-says-why-would-anything-change-on-plans-for-2024
There should be accountability, and the chair deserves blame but a 15+% beating at the top of the ticket was going to have an impact. Blame should be shared equally by that campaign. Chairman Tabas can’t make that campaign raise money; can’t make them message themselves out to voters ; can’t make them talk to demographics that are already voting for him anyway. Mastriano wanted to do things his own way, success be damned, and no one, save Trump, could tell him otherwise.
You’re right, as the most brilliant political operatives in the world weren’t getting Mastriano over the line in a purple state like PA. Where the failure lies is in Mastriano getting the nom in the first place, and the party not figuring out a way to avoid that. Once he got the nom, the general election was pretty much decided, especially with the Dems countering with a well-prepared candidate they’ve been developing for a while now, who had suburban appeal.
I am a Center Right Person who believes that the Opposite of Right is WRONG (Not Left)
Do you not admire Joe Machine for Voting his Principals and for his Coal Rich State?
We need our Center of PA Dems who are also Fiscally CONSERVATIVE and Family Valued to work with US vs the Entitled Dems whose giveaway approach is 180 degrees away from our the approach that made us the greatest country in the world
It was a bad day for the Republican Party last Tuesday. PA will not elect a candidate to the US Senate that the electorate perceives to be a carpetbagger no matter how bad the opposing candidate is. Mastriano ran a terrible campaign in SE PA. Whatever we asked for from the OZ campaign in Philadelphia we got it from Sheila Armstrong and her team. They were a big help. We also received great help from the Aaron Bashir Congressional Campaign, Mark Lavelle State Rep Campaign and the Drew Murray and Jim Hasher for Council Campaigns. They also gave us whatever we needed and delivered it to us too.
Whenever we asked for Mastriano Campaign for materials, the request had to be run through Don Beishl Jr the SE Regional Director. One time I was told to go to the 2647 Philmont Avenue Office pick up campaign literature. I was given 100 pieces of Mastriano literature to canvass the 45th Ward with it 4200 registered Republican voters. Thanks for nothing, Don.
On a very bad day for the Republicans statewide and in the 45th Ward. Mark LaVelle carried the 45th Ward part of HD 177 by 849 votes. Jim Hasher lost by 46 votes. Drew Murray lost by 79 votes. Mehmet Oz by 492, Our practically unfinanced Congressional candidate but a real hustler, Aaron Bashir, lost by 779 votes but carried 7 precincts.
Mastriano lost the 45th Ward by 1120 votes. His raw vote total of 2292 votes was 420 votes less than the 2712 votes that State Representative Mark LaVelle received despite the fact that Mr. Lavelle only ran in the eastern half of the 45th Ward. On the ground, Mastriano tactically ran the worst PA Republican Gubernatorial campaign I ever saw in my 44 years in Republican politics. The only bright spot I saw in the Mastriano Campaign was Carrie Del Rosso. She campaigned vigorously in our neighborhood and was very well received by the voters in both parties. If PA voted for LT. Governor separately from Governor her vote totals would probably have been in the Hasher-Murray range. I hope this is last our Party will see of Doug Mastriano statewide.
Thanks for the data Charles – it was what I suspected. It was pretty much the same lack of concern on the part of the Mastriano campaign in Montco as well. Bad candidates with unfocused campaigns can’t win. I never heard his campaign speak out – with detail – about the Wolf administration handling of COVID lockdowns, or of its antipathy toward charter schools for instance. Both of these – plus the economy – should have been the 24/7 message.
PA GOP leadership indeed owns some of this colossal failure, and is indeed in need of an overhaul. Most notable of their failures was not developing a “bench” of candidates that have broad appeal, not unifying behind a palatable governor candidate, leaving a crackpot like Mastriano as an unelectable anchor dragging down everyone, and finally, not avoiding the bloodbath between Oz-McCormick, that in many ways defined the general election, and left Oz mortally wounded (who had little room for error, has we wasn’t a great candidate to begin with). But if we’re being honest, as long as Donald Trump remains the “face” of the party, and has the hearts of the base of the GOP, they’re going to be fighting elections with one hand tied behind their back, as Trump-ism is an absolute disaster in the suburbs where PA elections are largely won and lost.