As “Trump looms large in Pennsylvania’s GOP primaries in 2022,” Laughlin will need to embrace MAGA litmus tests to gain any traction in the primary.
PENNSYLVANIA — After Pennsylvania Republicans spent the week peddling dangerous lies and promoting far-right bills that would restrict a woman’s right to choose and make it harder to vote, state Senator Dan Laughlin is taking a step towards entering the increasingly crowded “super MAGA Trump” Republican primary for governor.
Since Joe Gale became the first candidate to enter the race in February, the Republican candidates have been engaged in an all-out effort to embrace Donald Trump and MAGA litmus tests. In fact, Steve Bannon — Donald Trump’s former chief political strategist — called challenging the results of the 2020 election a “litmus test” for Republicans, saying “there will not be a Republican that wins a primary for 2022 — not one — that doesn’t take the pledge to get to the bottom of Nov. 3.”
Despite attempts to paper over his true record, Dan Laughlin’s conservative bonafides are clear — Laughlin signed onto an amicus curiae brief in the infamous Texas case “add[ing] to the chorus of claims that the presidential election results […] are somehow tainted despite the certification of the vote that confirms Biden’s victory,” voted to constrain access to abortion, voted to prevent Democratic Senator Jim Brewster from being seated with the rest of the Senate, and has voted with Republicans in Harrisburg 97 percent of the time.
“Pennsylvanians shouldn’t be fooled by Dan Laughlin’s attempts to paper over his record — Laughlin has been a reliable vote for Republicans in Harrisburg, and now he wants to enter the ‘super MAGA Trump’ primary,” said Pennsylvania Democratic Party spokesperson Brendan Welch. “Instead of talking about the issues Pennsylvanians care about, the Republican candidates for governor are fixated on proving their loyalty to Donald Trump, and if Laughlin has any hope of gaining traction in this primary, he will need to fully embrace Trump’s MAGA agenda of far-right litmus tests, absurd conspiracy theories, and dangerous lies.”
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