Casey, McCormick In Bruising Battle For PA U.S. Senate Seat

PENNSYLVANIA — A contentious Pennsylvania U.S. Senate campaign pits three-time Democratic incumbent Bob Casey against Republican millionaire businessman David McCormick in a race that could help decide control of the Senate.

The two candidates have clear ideological differences. In their second and final debate on Oct. 15, the pair sparred over abortion, gun control and energy, among other things.

Though they shook hands at the debate, the pair have blasted each other in TV commercials for months. Casey has portrayed McCormick as a carpetbagger from Connecticut whose financial investments have included Chinese companies that produce fentanyl. McCormick has painted Casey as a weak and inefficient Senator who votes nearly all of the time with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

An ABC News 538 average of various polls on Oct. 16 had Casey holding a marginal lead over McCormick, 48.5 percent to 43.8 percent.

Casey, 64, won his U.S. Senate seat in 2006. He served as state treasurer and auditor general prior to that. His father, Robert Casey, served as Pennsylvania governor in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

McCcormick, 59, who headed the Bridgewater Capital hedge fund from 2017-22, is making his second bid for a Senate seat. He ran in 2022, but was defeated in the Republican primary by celebrity physician Mehmet Oz. John Fetterman bested Oz in the general election to grab the seat.

Casey recently described himself to the League of Women Voters Pittsburgh Branch as a battler for common people.

"I’m fighting for our rights, lower costs for working families, economic freedom for workers, and our country’s children, seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities. I see each of these fights as critical for our country," Casey said.

"I’ve supported legislation to defend democracy, protect a woman’s right to choose, and a worker’s right to organize. I’m holding big corporations accountable for greedflation and raising prices on working people while they rake in record profits."

McCormick's campaign website indicates his top priorities in the Senate would be inflation, the economy and border security.

"Casey has regularly voted against tougher border security measures, has supported sanctuary cities and voted to give illegal immigrants taxpayer-funded federal benefits," the website states. "Now, Pennsylvanians are paying for healthcare, schooling, housing, food, you name it, for people who don’t pay taxes as dangerous drugs cross our border and women and children become victims to trafficking."

Casey's endorsements include the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO, the Pennsylvania State Education Association, the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals, American Israel Public Affairs Committee, Philadelphia Building Trades and Pittsburgh Regional Building Trades Council.

McCormick is backed by former President Donald Trump, Pennsylvania Fraternal Order of Police and Pennsylvania State Troopers Association and Firearms Owners Against Crime.

Also on the ballot in the Senate race are John Thomas of the Libertarian Party, Leila Hazou of the Green Party and Marty Selker of the Constitution Party.