October 17, 2024
Jasper Colt; USA TODAY NETWORK/Ron Sachs; Sipa USA
Democratic Sen. Bob Casey has represented Pennsylvania since 2007. He is running for reelection in November against Republican Dave McCormick. Polls show Casey leading what has become a competitive race.
After running an unsuccessful 2022 campaign for the Senate post that John Fetterman now holds, Dave McCormick is trying for Pennsylvania's other seat. But this time, it's not vacant.
Bob Casey, who has represented the Keystone State since 2007, is seeking reelection to a fourth term. The Democratic incumbent has been consistently polling ahead of Republican rival McCormick, though the margins have fluctuated over the course of the race. Recent voter samples give him a 4-point edge, or 48% to McCormick's 44%.
Though Casey has the lead, the race is considered competitive. The senator beat his last Republican challenger by 13 percent of the vote in 2018, a marked contrast to the latest numbers. Pollsters have also shown a keen interest in Pennsylvania, a battleground purple state that could sway the presidential race, heading into the 2024 election.
While Casey and McCormick, a former hedge fund CEO, are both Pennsylvania-born dads, the opponents come from different backgrounds. Casey grew up in Scranton, the son of former Gov. Robert Casey. He graduated from the College of Holy Cross and then Catholic University law school, working as an attorney until he entered politics. He won his first race, for Pennsylvania auditor general, in 1996.
After serving two terms, he mounted an unsuccessful primary election bid for governor against Ed Rendell. He was briefly state treasurer before he won election to the U.S. Senate in 2006. Casey was reelected in 2012 and 2018. He underwent surgery to treat his prostate cancer in 2023.
McCormick has never held elected office, but he does have political experience. The candidate hails from Bloomsburg, where his parents taught at the town's namesake university. After graduating from West Point, he deployed in Iraq as a paratrooper and received a Bronze Star. He pivoted to the business world after his military service, earning a doctorate in international relations from Princeton University and becoming the CEO of a tech startup.
Former President George W. Bush appointed McCormick to positions in the commerce department and on the National Security Council. He was then the CEO of Bridgewater Associates until he left to run his first Senate race in 2022. The Republican nomination ultimately went to Dr. Mehmet Oz.
Some of the same criticisms that followed Oz have plagued McCormick in his current bid. Casey and his supporters have painted the opponent as a rich carpetbagger who doesn't actually live in Pennsylvania. The Associated Press reported in 2023 that, while McCormick owned a home in Pittsburgh, he maintained residence at a $16 million mansion on Connecticut's Gold Coast — so named for the wealthy residents it attracts. Gaffes like McCormick's mix-up of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with Philadelphia, Mississippi, have bolstered this attack campaign.
McCormick has countered that Casey is a "career politician" who has "blindly supported" the Biden administration on harmful policies. The Republican challenger has leaned on his military background to pitch himself as a tougher alternative, who will prop up a "weakening America." He supports a border wall separating Mexico from the U.S. and would not allow asylum seekers into the country until they resolve their applications "on the other side." McCormick has also pledged to crack down on violent crime, accusing Casey of supporting measures to defund the police. (He does not.)
On his website, McCormick lays out plans to remove China from the World Health Organization, relocate the U.S. Department of Energy to Pittsburgh and impose term limits in Congress. He also wants to see more American investment in crypto. While McCormick supports a $15,000 tax credit for families using IVF, he is against abortion except in cases of rape, incest or threats to the life of the mother.
Much of Casey's recent political activity has concerned inflation and price gouging. He has repeatedly introduced legislation to extend benefits to coal miners diagnosed with black lung disease. He also spearheaded the ABLE Act, which creates tax-advantaged savings accounts for people with disabilities, and the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, which requires employers to make reasonable accommodations. He currently serves as the chair of the Senate's special committee on aging.
Though he was once considered the "most pro-life Democrat" in the country, Casey has supported abortion rights in recent years. He voted for the Women's Health Protection Act, a failed bill to restore abortion protections that was introduced in the wake of the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision.
While Casey supports the DREAM Act, he has also pressed for more border agents and personnel.
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