Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey Loses Reelection | EUROtoday

Republican Dave McCormick was projected to defeat Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.), denying him a fourth time period in an upset that indicators a dramatic shift in fortunes for Democrats within the nation’s quintessential battleground state.

The narrowness of McCormick’s lead over Casey as votes continued to be counted days after Election Day raised the opportunity of an automated recount, which Pennsylvania requires in races the place the hole between the 2 candidates is half a share level or much less. But whereas McCormick nonetheless led Casey by lower than half a degree on Thursday afternoon, The Associated Press referred to as the race within the Republican’s favor.

The Casey marketing campaign declined to concede the race following AP’s Press resolution, citing the Pennsylvania secretary of state’s assertion earlier within the day that “every legitimate vote must be counted,” together with the various excellent navy, abroad and provisional ballots.

“This race is within half a point and cannot be called while the votes of thousands of Pennsylvanians are still being counted,” Casey marketing campaign spokesperson Maddy McDaniel mentioned in a press release. “We will make sure every Pennsylvanian’s voice is heard.”

Given a just about assured loss in West Virginia and hard odds in purple states equivalent to Montana, Senate Democrats had been relying on candidates like Casey to tug by way of with the intention to maintain onto their slim majority within the Senate.

Republicans had already taken the bulk within the Senate by the point Casey’s race was referred to as on Thursday. But Casey’s loss is prone to jeopardize Democratic management of the chamber for years to return.

McCormick, a former hedge fund supervisor and Gulf War veteran, depicted Casey as a liberal “career politician” who put allegiance to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris forward of Pennsylvanians’ pursuits. He even hit Casey, a Scranton native, for being the son of a well-liked former governor of Pennsylvania.

“I’m a political outsider. That couldn’t be more different than Sen. Casey, who was born with a political spoon in his mouth,” McCormick mentioned in his closing assertion on the Oct. 15 debate with Casey. “He doesn’t know how to create jobs. He doesn’t understand the devastating effect of prices on families. He is a status quo candidate.”

McCormick’s win defies polling that persistently confirmed Casey within the lead and poised to carry out higher than Harris on the prime of the ticket. With greater than 95% of votes counted, Casey was receiving fewer votes than Harris, however the presence of robust candidates from the Libertarian and Constitution events made it a better race than the competition for Pennsylvania’s electoral votes between Harris and Republican Donald Trump.

Casey and his allies hammered McCormick’s report as a titan of finance and up to date transfer again to the Keystone State, dubbing him a “Connecticut millionaire.”

McCormick needed to clarify his former hedge fund’s outsourcing of jobs; his help for opening commerce with China and subsequent revenue from these insurance policies; and even his fund’s funding in a Chinese fentanyl producer. As a candidate, McCormick additionally took some politically questionable positions, like saying he would roll again the bipartisan infrastructure invoice.

A Casey TV advert featured a married couple — a Democratic husband and a Republican spouse — who say they disagree on politics, however each help Casey. “Casey bucked Biden to protect fracking, and he sided with Trump to end NAFTA and put tariffs on China to stop them from cheating,” the Republican lady says.

But McCormick, a throwback to a extra business-oriented and conventionally hawkish Republican Party, courted suburban voters in ways in which eluded Trump.

And he efficiently portrayed Casey with the Biden administration’s financial and immigration report.

Biden’s feedback, days earlier than the election, during which he appeared to name Trump supporters “garbage,” can’t have helped issues, even when Biden mentioned he meant to discuss with pro-Trump comedian Tony Hinchcliffe.

McCormick featured video of Biden’s remarks alongside video of Casey praising Biden in considered one of his last TV advertisements.

“Clean up their mess on Nov. 5. Vote Republican. Vote Dave McCormick,” the advert concludes.

See full outcomes from the Pennsylvania Senate election right here.