Democratic Sen. Bob Casey and Republican challenger David McCormick have emerged victorious from their respective party primaries in Pennsylvania, setting the stage for a high-stakes U.S. Senate contest this fall. The race is expected to be grueling, expensive, and hard-fought, with both candidates vying for the support of voters in a state that could help decide control of the Senate next year.
Casey, a three-term incumbent, is seeking his fourth term in the Senate. He is a well-known politician and a staunch member of the Democratic Party, following in the footsteps of his father, a former two-term governor. McCormick, on the other hand, is a two-time Senate challenger and former hedge fund CEO. He spent $14 million of his own money in a losing bid against celebrity heart surgeon Dr. Mehmet Oz in the 2022 GOP primary. This time around, McCormick has consolidated the party’s support and has the backing of a super PAC that has already raised over $20 million.
The Senate candidates will share a ticket with presidential candidates in a state that is crucial to the Democrats’ hopes of maintaining control of the White House and the Senate. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have easily won their party’s nominations, and both have made campaign trips to Pennsylvania in recent days. Voters can expect to see a heavy presence of the candidates, their TV ads, and their surrogates over the next six months in a state that has swung from Trump in 2016 to Biden in 2020.
Democrats have attacked McCormick for his opposition to abortion rights, his ties to Connecticut, and his investments in China. Casey, meanwhile, has been a key player in the Democrats’ efforts to reframe the election-year narrative about the economy by attacking “greedflation” – a term for corporations raising prices to maximize profits. McCormick, on the other hand, has accused Casey of rubber-stamping harmful Biden policies and has made a bid for Jewish voters by criticizing Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war.
The Senate race in Pennsylvania is one of the most closely watched in the country and could have a significant impact on the balance of power in Washington. Democrats currently hold a narrow majority in the Senate, but they face a difficult map in 2024, with several incumbent Democrats running in red states. A Casey loss could guarantee Republican control of the Senate.
In addition to the Senate race, Pennsylvanians will also decide nominees for an open attorney general’s office and two other statewide offices – treasurer and auditor general – as well as all 17 of the state’s U.S. House seats and 228 of the state’s 253 legislative seats.
