Trump-backed PA Senate candidate flips longtime Dem seat red in nail-biting election

Republican Pennsylvania Senate candidate Dave McCormick was declared victorious Tuesday in his highly contested election against longtime Democratic Sen. Bob Casey.

Casey’s campaign released a statement Thursday afternoon saying he would not concede until all the votes are counted.

“As Pennsylvania’s Secretary of State said this afternoon, there are tens of thousands of ballots across the Commonwealth still to be counted, which includes provisional ballots, military and overseas ballots and mail-in ballots,” said Maddy McDaniel, a spokeswoman for Casey’s campaign. in a statement. “This race is within half a point and cannot be called while the votes of thousands of Pennsylvanians are still being counted. We will make sure every Pennsylvanian’s voice is heard.”

Casey has served in the Senate since 2008 and eventually became a stalwart of the Democratic Party. For example, he voted on legislation that President Biden supported 98.5% of the time, according to FiveThirtyEight data.

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Late. Bob Casey, left, and Dave McCormick (Getty Images)

The Casey name also has deep roots in the state, where Bob Casey Sr., the senator’s father, served as the Keystone State’s governor from 1987 to 1995 after several years serving in various other elected roles.

However, the longtime senator faced what was described as his toughest re-election effort to date as he faced off against Republican businessman Dave McCormick.

McCormick is an Army combat veteran and former CEO of hedge fund Bridgewater Associates who served as Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security and Under Secretary of the Treasury for International Affairs in former President George W. Bush’s administration.

Political eyes have been locked on Pennsylvania this election cycle after it once again emerged as a key presidential battleground. Trump narrowly won the state in his successful 2016 election against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, while President Biden declared victory in the Keystone State in the 2020 election.

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The race was rated “leans Democrat” by both Fox News Power Rankings and the Cook Political Report, with Casey himself acknowledging this year that it would be a “close, tough race.”

Former President Obama is shown with Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., left, and then-Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf at a campaign rally in Philadelphia on Sept. 21, 2018. (Getty Images/Mark Makela)

Biden campaigned for Casey in their shared home state, where the president hailed the senator as “a man that kids can look up to.” Across the aisle, McCormick earned Trump’s endorsement in the Keystone State.

“He’s a good man. He’s going to run a good ship,” Trump said at a rally in April. “He’s a smart guy. He was a very successful guy. He’s given up a lot to do this.”

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The two have sparred on issues such as immigration, abortion, rising inflation and law enforcement in their campaigns and during their debates.

GOP Senate candidate Dave McCormick is interviewed while touring the Lackawanna College School of Petroleum and Natural Gas on May 10, 2022 in Tunkhannock, Pa. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

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Casey campaigned on a platform to protect access to abortion, lower “greedflation,” preserve Pennsylvania’s “energy heritage,” while also working “to protect our environment” and strengthen rural infrastructure.

McCormick campaigned on increasing inflation under the Biden-Harris administration, securing the border, curbing crime, defending the Second Amendment and expanding the Keystone State’s energy sector.

The high-stakes election put both candidates in the national spotlight, including earlier this year when state police leaders slammed Casey for aligning himself with a pro-defund police group as he prepared for the election. He was also lambasted by McCormick and other conservatives for rhetoric blaming rising inflation on alleged corporate greed, which he calls “greed inflation.”

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McCormick came under fire from Casey and Democrats for splitting his time between Pennsylvania and Connecticut, where his children attend school, painting him as a Keystone State outsider.

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