The race for Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate seat remains too close to call as the vote count enters its third day. Democratic incumbent Bob Casey and Republican challenger David McCormick are locked in a tight battle that could significantly impact the GOP majority in the Senate. As of Wednesday night, McCormick held a slim lead of about 30,000 votes, but many ballots were still uncounted.
The Casey campaign expressed confidence in his re-election, pointing to thousands of provisional ballots left to tally, particularly in areas like Philadelphia. At Casey’s election night party in Scranton, Mayor Paige Cognetti told supporters, “This could take a couple of days. We have to set expectations it might be a little bit.” She advised partygoers to go home just before midnight, hoping for a clearer result on Wednesday.
Casey emphasized to his supporters, “Every single vote will be counted. No matter how long it takes.” His campaign later released a statement stressing the importance of counting every legal ballot. McCormick also addressed his supporters in Pittsburgh on Tuesday night but stopped short of declaring victory.
Pennsylvania Senate race remains tight
“We need leadership, we don’t have it, and we’re going to get it,” he said. Sen.
Casey, a stalwart of the state’s Democratic Party, has won six statewide elections since 1996. McCormick, making his second Senate run, left his job as CEO of the world’s largest hedge fund to pursue politics. The race has touched on national themes like abortion rights and inflation, as well as local issues.
Casey criticized McCormick as a rich “carpetbagger” from Connecticut trying to buy a Senate seat, while McCormick accused Casey of rubber-stamping Biden administration policies harmful to the economy, energy, and national security. Villanova political science professor David Barrett discussed the potential impact of Republicans taking control of the Senate, noting that a determined president can accomplish a lot with strong support from Congress. The close race could lead to a recount if the margin is half a percentage point or less.
As the vote count continues, both campaigns remain focused on the outcome of this pivotal Senate contest.
