Republican Dave McCormick, Democrat Bob Casey Officially Clinch Pennsylvania Senate Nominations

Republican businessman Dave McCormick and Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) formally clinched their parties’ respective nominations for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania on Tuesday night after both men ran unopposed.

They will square off in what will be one of the most closely-watched U.S. Senate races of the year. Casey’s seat marks a prime pick-up opportunity for McCormick and Republicans, who look to take back a Senate majority in 2024.

Despite having no competitors in the primary, McCormick’s dedication was on full display Tuesday as he campaigned across the state, starting in Bucks County in the east and finishing in Pittsburgh out west.

Former President Donald Trump, who has endorsed McCormick, urged voters to get out and vote for himself and McCormick ahead of his business records trial in Manhattan on Tuesday.

Trump said McCormick is “working very hard,” adding he is a “successful man” who “wants to put his success to the country.”

“He’ll be a very good senator, so hopefully they’ll be behind Dave and get out there and vote today,” he added.

McCormick thanked Trump in response in a post on X.

Pennsylvania “deserves better – let’s get the job done and retire Bob Casey in November,” he added.

Pennsylvania was the one state where Democrats or Republicans flipped a seat in the 2022 midterms, with Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) beating Republican celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz for former Sen. Pat Toomey’s (R-PA) seat.

This secured Democrats an official 51-49 seat majority in the Senate, though they still technically had a majority before this. Vice President Kamala Harris served as the tie-breaking vote.

McCormick, a veteran and former Bridgwater Associates CEO who was nearly the Republican nominee in 2022, joined Sirius XM’s Breitbart News Daily on Monday and said he is in this race because he believes “The country is in deep trouble economically, militarily, [and] spiritually.”

“I think this Senate seat could not be more important, not only to make sure Pennsylvania has the right leadership, but to win the majority and also to help up and down the ticket – help President Trump win in Pennsylvania but help other leaders [in] Pennsylvania win on the ticket,” McCormick said.