Mastriano nominated to serve as Ambassador to Slovakia

By John Cole
The Center Square

State Sen. Doug Mastriano, R-Chambersburg, has been nominated by President Donald Trump’s administration to serve as the United States Ambassador to Slovakia.

“I am deeply honored and humbled by President Trump’s nomination to serve as United States Ambassador to the Slovak Republic. Upon Senate confirmation, I look forward to representing our nation abroad, strengthening the friendship between our two countries, and advancing the interests of the American people,” Mastriano wrote in a social media post on Monday afternoon.

“In the meantime, I remain fully committed to serving the people of Pennsylvania’s 33rd Senatorial District and will continue fulfilling my responsibilities while the Senate considers my nomination,” he added.

Mastriano, a retired military colonel and combat veteran, was first elected to the state Senate in 2019 in a special election to represent the southcentral Pennsylvania district that includes Gettysburg.

After being sworn into office, Mastriano emerged as one of the most conservative and controversial voices in his caucus. He was a vocal critic of then-Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration’s COVID-19 restrictions. After President Joe Biden won Pennsylvania over Trump in the 2020 election, Mastriano repeatedly questioned the integrity and results of the election, while amplifying conspiracy theories. He also attended the Jan. 6, 2021 “Stop the Steal” rally that ended with protestors breaking into the U.S. Capitol, though he says he did not join them.

In 2022, he launched a bid for governor. Mastriano earned Trump’s endorsement in that race shortly before he cruised to victory for the Republican Party nomination. However, he lost to Democrat Josh Shapiro in the general election by 17 points.

After this loss, Mastriano weighed other runs for higher office in Pennsylvania, including the 2024 U.S. Senate race and the 2026 race for governor. However, he decided against formally joining those races, despite a write-in campaign underway for him in the upcoming primary election.

Mastriano has sharply criticized the Pennsylvania Republican Party for endorsing State Treasurer Stacy Garrity for governor in September.

Despite at times being at odds with the Republican Party establishment, his nomination to serve in the Trump administration is being celebrated by some elected officials within his own party.

“Congratulations to Senator Mastriano for being nominated to serve as Ambassador to Slovakia. I know you will do an excellent job and put America’s interests first,” Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward, R-Westmoreland, said on Monday afternoon. “Wish you the best through the confirmation process.”

State Sen. Camera Bartolotta, R-Washington, also took to social media to congratulate Mastriano, calling it a “great honor” and that it “shows his dedication to public service.”

And one elected official, who can play a role in whether he is confirmed, also offered words of support.

“Congratulations to my friend @SenMastriano on his nomination to serve as U.S. Ambassador to the Slovak Republic,” U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pa., wrote in a social media post Monday afternoon. “If confirmed, he will be a great ambassador. Doug has dedicated his life to serving our nation in uniform and in public office, and I wish him the best in this important role representing America abroad.”

U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., has not weighed in on social media about Mastriano’s nomination and whether he’d support his confirmation.

If confirmed by the Senate, Mastriano would not be the only Pennsylvanian serving as an ambassador in the Trump administration.

Christine Toretti, longtime Republican National Committeewoman for Pennsylvania, was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in September to serve as the U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Sweden.

Jeff Bartos, a businessman and 2018 GOP candidate for lieutenant governor, was also confirmed by the U.S. Senate last year to serve as the U.S. Representative for U.N. Management and Reform.