Republican Dave McCormick Flips Pennsylvania Senate Seat

Republican Dave McCormick Flips Pennsylvania Senate Seat
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Dave McCormick and wife Dina Powell thank supporters after declaring victory in a closely contested race with incumbent Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) in Pittsburgh on Nov. 6, 2024. (Jeff Swensen/Getty Images)

Republican multimillionaire businessman Dave McCormick defeated incumbent Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) in the Nov. 5 election, giving the GOP a crucial extra seat in its majority, projected the Associated Press on Nov. 7.

Republicans won Senate control on Election Night and this win brings its majority up to 53 seats to Democrats’ 45, with two races—Arizona and Nevada—left to be called.

However, the Pennsylvania race could be headed toward a recount since it falls in the 0.5 percentage-point margin in accordance with state law.

“I always knew from Day One it was going to be a very close race,” McCormick said in response to a question from The Epoch Times during a Q&A with reporters on Sep. 10.

McCormick ran on a broad coalition, appealing to President-elect Donald Trump’s voters but also to key constituencies skeptical or critical of Trump, including independents and suburbanites.

“The key for my winning is to be able to talk to voters that are on the fence, voters that could go either way,” he said during the Q&A.

McCormick tied Casey, who has been in the Senate since 2007, to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’s agenda.

Casey has mostly voted with Senate Democrat leadership and the Biden administration’s positions.

Trump endorsed McCormick.

“He’s a good man. He wants to run a good ship,” Trump said at an April 13 rally in Pennsylvania.

“Thank you, President Trump! Together we will deliver a big win for Pennsylvania and America in November,” posted McCormick on X in response.

For most of the election cycle, polls showed Casey ahead but the race tightened in October.

In response to a question from The Epoch Times after voting on Nov. 5, McCormick attributed the trend to voters paying more attention after Labor Day.

The RealClearPolitics average between Oct. 9 and Oct. 30 showed Casey leading by 2.6 percentage points.

McCormick ran for the GOP nomination for Senate in 2022 but was narrowly defeated by TV host Dr. Mehmet Oz, who went on to lose to former Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman.

McCormick was in the U.S. Army and served during the 1991 Gulf War.

He worked at McKinsey & Company before eventually joining Bridgewater Associates, where he was president. He served in multiple roles in the Bush administration.

Casey, like Biden, was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He served as Pennsylvania state treasurer between 2005 and 2007 and auditor general between 1997 and 2005.

His father, Bob Casey Sr., was Pennsylvania governor between 1987 and 1995.

One of the main issues that came up in the race was abortion.

Casey, who has a Planned Parenthood lifetime score of 68 percent, voted in 2021 against an amendment that would have banned abortion nationwide after 20 weeks.

He has sometimes voted with the pro-life side. He voted in favor of a bill, in 2018 and 2020, that would have done the same.

McCormick’s campaign focused on the border, energy, the economy, and fentanyl.

McCormick will take office on Jan. 3, 2025.

From The Epoch Times