Pittsburgh Review

State Sen. Doug Mastriano, the Republican nominee for Pennsylvania governor, has planned a debate with his Democratic opponent Attorney General Josh Shapiro, but is still waiting for a response from Shapiro.

Mastriano announced in a press release that he has selected a date, venue and moderator for a debate with Shapiro. Mastriano sent a letter to Shapiro as a follow-up to an invitation last month to participate in two debates ahead of November's election. For the debates, each candidate is allowed to select a location and moderator. Mastriano said he informed Shapiro that he selected Oct. 22 at the Penn Harris Hotel in Camp Hill, which can house up to 1,000 guests.

"If you’re up for a fair debate," Mastriano wrote, "we have begun the planning process for you to meet me at Penn Harris on 22 October …. I am sure you will agree that Pennsylvania voters deserve to witness fair gubernatorial debates – which is why our campaigns should collaborate to deliver that for them. If I don’t hear back from you, I can only assume that you are reluctant to debate me – which would be a real disservice to the people of Pennsylvania.”

Mercedes Schlapp is Mastriano's choice as moderator, according to the release. Schlapp is a senior fellow at the CPAC Foundation, the former director of strategic communications at the White House, and a prominent leader in the Latino community.

"I look forward to serving as a debate moderator for the most important governor’s race in the country this fall," Schlapp said. "As a concerned parent, I have a lot of important questions to ask the candidates about their plans for the future of schools, the economy, and crime in communities across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.”

According to the Philly Leader, Mastriano initially reached out to Shapiro in mid-August, inviting him to participate in two debates in October.

Mastriano was one of four Republican candidates who participated in a debate leading up to the May primary election, WPXI reports. More than 9 million viewers tuned in to watch the hourlong debate, which was co-hosted by WPXI anchor Lisa Sylvester and WHTM abc27 news anchor and Capitol Bureau reporter Dennis Owens.

Mastriano defeated eight challengers to win the Republican nomination in Pennsylvania's gubernatorial race, according to Ballotpedia. 

Shapiro, who is in his second term as the state's attorney general, ran unopposed in the Democratic primary, according to ABC News. Incumbent Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf is stepping down.