Republican candidate Dave McCormick was declared [1] the winner in Pennsylvania’s closely watched Senate race against Democratic incumbent Sen. Bob Casey on Tuesday.
However, Casey’s campaign has announced it will not concede until every ballot has been counted, citing outstanding votes across the state.
In a statement on Thursday, Casey’s campaign spokesperson, Maddy McDaniel, emphasized the need for a full count. “As the Pennsylvania Secretary of State said this afternoon, there are tens of thousands of ballots across the Commonwealth still to count, which includes provisional ballots, military and overseas ballots, and mail ballots,” McDaniel said. “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, who has represented Pennsylvania in the Senate since 2008, faced a tough re-election challenge this year against McCormick, a former hedge fund CEO, Army combat veteran, and former Bush administration official.
🚨 #BREAKING [2]: Trump endorsed Dave McCormick has OFFICIALLY won his race for Senate in Pennsylvania, flipping the seat from Democrat to Republican
RACKING UP THE WINS!!! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/qYwESbNlEx [3]
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) November 7, 2024 [4]
McCormick served as the undersecretary of commerce for industry and security and as undersecretary of the treasury for international affairs during President George W. Bush’s administration.
Political attention has been focused on Pennsylvania, a key battleground state, as it played a pivotal role in recent presidential elections.
Trump narrowly won Pennsylvania in 2016, while President Biden claimed victory in 2020. Both parties invested heavily in the Senate race, viewing it as critical for control of Congress.
Pre-election analyses by Fox News Power Rankings and the Cook Political Report had rated the race as “leans Democrat.” Casey himself acknowledged that it would be a “close, tough race” in an already contentious election cycle.
Throughout the campaign, Joe Biden showed strong support for Casey, appearing alongside him at events in Pennsylvania and describing him as “a man that kids can look up to.”
In contrast, McCormick received an endorsement from former President Trump, who rallied for him in the state, calling him “a good man” and “a smart guy” who “wants to run a good ship.”
The candidates clashed on various issues, including immigration, inflation, abortion, law enforcement, and energy policy.
Casey campaigned on a platform that emphasized protecting access to abortion, tackling what he called “greedflation” by holding corporations accountable, supporting Pennsylvania’s energy sector while prioritizing environmental protections, and improving infrastructure in rural areas. His voting record showed close alignment with Joe Biden, supporting Biden’s policies 98.5% of the time, according to FiveThirtyEight.
McCormick’s campaign focused on curbing inflation under the Biden administration, strengthening border security, supporting law enforcement, defending Second Amendment rights, and expanding Pennsylvania’s energy production.
He criticized Casey’s economic stance, particularly Casey’s rhetoric on “greedflation,” which blames corporate greed for rising costs. McCormick also highlighted his commitment to Pennsylvania’s energy legacy, promising to bolster the state’s natural gas and coal industries.
Mister President,
I’m pleased to share that we have delivered Pennsylvania for you,
as well as a Senate seat & 2 House seats from 🔵🔜🔴.
Congratulations to you, Dave McCormick, Rob Bresnahan, & Ryan Mackenzie. @realDonaldTrump [5]
— ThePersistence (@ScottPresler) November 7, 2024 [6]
The election spotlight also brought scrutiny to each candidate’s background. Casey was criticized by police leaders for his connection to a group supportive of the “defund the police” movement, a stance that McCormick and his supporters used to challenge Casey’s law enforcement policies.
In turn, Democrats questioned McCormick’s commitment to Pennsylvania, pointing out his residency in Connecticut, where his children attend school, and accusing him of being out of touch with Pennsylvanians.
Despite the current margin favoring McCormick, Casey’s campaign has pointed to provisional, military, and mail-in ballots that remain uncounted.
As of now, McCormick’s win marks a significant shift in Pennsylvania’s political landscape, challenging a seat held by Democrats for over a decade and potentially altering the balance of power in the U.S. Senate.