Lou Barletta camp upset with Trump snub

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — Republican candidate for governor Lou Barletta and his supporters are a little ticked off that former President Donald Trump endorsed Doug Mastriano on Saturday in the Republican race.

That was clear at Barletta’s campaign rally Monday night at the Wilkes-Barre Township firehall.

"There is no denying there was a big endorsement by President Trump, and I'm going to say this loud and clear," Barletta said to a crowd of more than 200. "President Trump, you are dead wrong, and I'm going to prove it on Tuesday."

Thomas Marino, a former congressman from Lycoming County, spoke at the Barletta rally.

"I'm incredibly disappointed and disgusted with Trump, and actually hurt," former Congressman Tom Marino said. "He didn't even have the decency to call Lou and tell him he was endorsing someone else. ... Fate is a funny thing, and we have a big surprise for him."

Barletta, a Hazleton resident and the city's former mayor, embraced Marino after he spoke. Trump referred to Barletta and Marino as "Thunder and Lightning" for their loyal support when they served in Congress and during Trump's 2016 campaign for president.

"Where in the hell is the loyalty?" Marino asked Saturday at a Barletta event in Williamsport, referring to Trump endorsing Mastriano, a state senator from Franklin County.

Before Monday's rally, Barletta talked to reporters.

"I think the president is wrong," Barletta said. "Everyone knows, you know, I was one of the first to endorse him, along with Tom. Co-chaired his campaign. Was on his transition team. Gave up a safe congressional seat because the president asked. I think the president was wrong on this, and I'm going to prove it to him on Tuesday."

Barletta lost his congressional seat because he ran for U.S. Senate in 2018 and lost to U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, a Democrat from Scranton.

State Sen. Lisa Baker, R-20, Lehman Twp., spoke at Monday's rally and referenced a Barletta story about his inability to hit a curveball as a baseball player.

"Lou Barletta got thrown the Trump curveball," she said. "But what did he do? He's still in the batter's box. It's the bottom of the ninth. We can bring this home. He can round the bases and drive it over the fence with your help."

Nine Republicans are on the primary ballot in the governor's race. Two of them — Melissa Hart, a former congresswoman from Allegheny County, and state Sen. Jake Corman of Centre County — ended their campaigns last week to back Barletta, and both spoke at Monday's rally.

State Sen. John Yudichak, I-14, Swoyersville, also attended. The former Democrat became an independent in 2019 and initially supported Corman in this year's campaign for governor.

Lynette Villano, a longtime Republican committeewoman from West Pittston, was there to support Barletta. She supported Trump during the 2016 primary campaign and was elected as a Trump delegate.

"Well I wasn't happy about it of course. Yeah, none of us were," she said, referring to the Mastriano endorsement. "I've been getting phone calls ever since. But Trump is Trump. He's going to do what he's going to do, and nobody's going to talk him into doing anything different. But tomorrow night, he's going to be there saying 'I'm so happy Lou Barletta won.'"

Mastriano campaigned in Wilkes-Barre on Friday at Kirby Park. While Mastriano has been surging in campaign polls in recent weeks, Barletta has been promoting dozens of endorsements from state politicians.

“I think it’s an effort by the swamp to strike back,” Mastriano said Friday of Barletta’s endorsements. “Sadly, there’s a propensity for politics in Pennsylvania where there is an elite ruling class of, I don’t know, folks that do this for living, that have been in politics for most of their adult life, that they want to pick a candidate that’s maybe predictable, reliable, malleable.”