The Consequences of Being Correct
November 12, 2023
Dear fellow Republican,
As a candidate for Lieutenant Governor in 2022, I had a lot of fantastic conversations about the future for Pennsylvania's Republicans with my fellow State Committee members and colleagues in the General Assembly.
I found that many Republicans were as concerned as I was about the prospect of Doug Mastriano becoming our nominee for Governor. It was my sincere belief that his name at the top of the Republican ticket in the General Election would create downward pressure on the rest of the ticket, risking the US Senate race and the PA House majority.
I was one the few to voice those concerns publicly during that primary cycle.
Like the majority of Republicans who voted in the 2022 primary, I voted for someone else for Governor. But when the dust settled and Doug Mastriano won the nomination, I immediately congratulated him both privately and publicly and offered my full support in the fall against Josh Shapiro. I even paid to sponsor a Republican Committee dinner here in Lebanon County where he was our keynote speaker.
Unfortunately, my concerns were spot-on. We lost the Governor's mansion in a landslide, we lost the US Senate race, and we lost the majority in the House of Representatives by a mere 63 votes in a swing district in Montgomery County. Mastriano was not the sole reason for all our losses, but his severe underperformance even in staunch Republican strongholds indicated that his candidacy was a major factor.
I was later outraged when I learned that Mastriano left over one million dollars on the table in the General Election, unspent on his race. That was an insult to his donors, his volunteers, and every Republican who cast their ballot for him.
We are now learning what he intends to do with those extra resources. This week, he made an appearance in my legislative district in support of a challenger for the seat I currently hold in the General Assembly. You can read about the event in this article by John Cole. - https://bit.ly/3SCoYYf
During this event I was called "a cancer" to the Party, my legislative record and values were distorted, and my support of the full Republican ticket in 2022 was lied about.
The last thing Republicans need in Pennsylvania is a failed statewide candidate using conservative dollars to launch a civil war in the party to stroke his own ego. In my case, it's obvious he's seeking revenge for me speaking the truth out loud in 2022. He may be planning other attacks elsewhere across the Commonwealth.
I'm writing to ask for your help in fighting back against this lunacy, by making a contribution to my 2024 re-election campaign today. Your contribution will be used to bolster and enhance our local fundraising efforts and to ensure the 102nd District seat remains securely in the hands of an experienced and seasoned legislator who is already working to help Republicans to win back the House majority that Mastriano lost.
You can contribute online at russdiamond.vote or by mailing a personal check to Friends of Russ Diamond, 305 W Sheridan Avenue, Annville PA 17003.
I thank you for your service to the Republican Party, and for your consideration of restoring sanity in our Party by supporting my re-election campaign.
Respectfully,
