Gov. Josh Shapiro breaks bread with Martin’s Potato Rolls, one of Doug Mastriano’s top supporters
Shapiro said he can’t wait to eat a Martin’s roll at sundown on Tuesday, when Passover ends.
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Clout provides often irreverent news and analysis about people, power, and politics.
CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. — Gov. Josh Shapiro is on a (bipartisan) roll.
He visited the Martin’s Famous Pastry Shoppe headquarters in Franklin County on Tuesday to announce a company expansion of the potato roll manufacturing giant in the state.
But it wasn’t just another vanity news conference. This was a full-circle moment, since members of the Martin family supported his opponent, Republican State Sen. Doug Mastriano, in the 2022 gubernatorial election, and Shapiro came to the rolls’ defense that year as his supporters called for a boycott of the company.
Shapiro visited the Chambersburg plant in Mastriano’s home county to announce the $123 million expansion, the addition of 127 jobs — and the role the state played in securing it.
Shapiro appeared with the president of Martin’s, Tony Martin. One of the other Martin family members, Jim Martin, and his family contributed upwards of $125,000 to Mastriano’s poorly funded campaign in 2022. When Shapiro stepped in to oppose boycotting the company over those donations, he said Martin’s makes a “damn good potato roll” and that he doesn’t support boycotting a Pennsylvania business that employs hundreds of workers.
On Tuesday, Shapiro returned with less risqué language, repeatedly calling the product some “darn good rolls” and that he was proud of the Pennsylvania family owned-and-operated business.
“He’s done a great job cutting red tape,” Tony Martin said. “And they deserve the credit. And I applaud him and his group for what they’re doing. We may not agree on everything, but we agree on business, and we agree on helping Pennsylvania.”
Shapiro further said he can’t wait to eat a Martin’s roll at sundown on Tuesday, when Passover ends.
“I don’t care who anyone supported in the campaign, and I’m a governor for all Pennsylvanians,” Shapiro added. “I hope more and more people around the commonwealth, the country, and the world get a chance to eat these darn good rolls as a result of this expansion.”