The incoming Republican majority in the Senate just got a little larger.
The Associated Press called the race for one of Pennsylvania's two Senate seats on Wednesday, saying that Republican upstart David McCormick had defeated incumbent Sen. Bob Casey. The long-serving Sen. Casey had held his seat in the upper chamber since 2007.
McCormick is a military veteran and former hedge fund CEO. His campaign against Casey worked to paint him as an outsider and a change agent. Casey is the son of former Pennsylvania Governor Bob Casey Sr., who was notable for being one of the Democratic Party's most vocal advocates against the extension of abortion rights.
Earlier this year, McCormick made headlines when he called for U.S. military intervention in Mexico as the war on drugs.
“I’m not saying we’re going to send the 82nd Airborne Division to do a jump into Mexico,” McCormick told the Associated Press. “What I’m saying is the combination of special operations and drones, I think, could eradicate the manufacturing facilities, kill the distribution networks, and make a real dent in what is a terrorist activity.”
McCormick has run for a senate seat in Pennsylvania before, failing to make it out of the GOP primary in 2022 when he lost the nomination to Dr. Mehmet Oz. The television host was eventually defeated by Senator John Fetterman, who McCormick will join in the Pennsylvania delegation next year.
Sen. Casey has not yet conceded the race, with campaign representatives saying they are waiting for a complete count in the tight race.
“As the Pennsylvania Secretary of State said this afternoon, there are tens of thousands of ballots across the Commonwealth still to count, which includes provisional ballots, military and overseas ballots, and mail ballots," Spokesperson Maddy McDaniel shared with Politico. "This race is within half a point and cannot be called while the votes of thousands of Pennsylvanians are still being counted. We will make sure every Pennsylvanian’s voice is heard.”
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