Businessman David McCormick, a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania, emphasized his military service in his closing ad, saying, “I’ve been America First my whole life. I’m the one that volunteered when I was 18 and put it all on the line.”

McCormick graduated from West Point military academy and went on to serve in the Persian Gulf War as part of the Army’s All-American 82nd Airborne Division.

McCormick’s final pitch to voters comes two days before Pennsylvania’s GOP primary, which is closely matched between McCormick, Mehmet Oz, and Kathy Barnette.

The most recent poll found McCormick having a narrow lead over his challengers going into the final weekend of the primary campaign season.

Democrats have signaled they see McCormick as their biggest threat in the general election and are reportedly “salivating at the prospect” of running against Barnette in November.

“I am incredibly optimistic about our future. This is the American story. We get to the edge. We board ourselves back.” McCormick said in his closing ad. “I come to you as someone who’s a true conservative. I’m asking for your vote. The stakes couldn’t be higher because the country is headed in the wrong direction.”

McCormick condemned the “weakness” in our leaders and the “wokeness” in our institutions.

“And the weakness that we see in our leaders, the wokeness we see in our institutions, our schools, our military, our businesses, it’s taken our country on a path that we’re not going to recognize,” he said.

McCormick told voters that this election is the most important Pennsylvania race in their lives.

McCormick said:

It matters who you pick for this Senate seat. This Senate seat is the most important race in Pennsylvania in your lifetime because this will determine whether you have a strong conservative leader in the Senate, someone who will fight for America first policies, someone who will stand up and know what to do on day one.

He then emphasized his military record as evidence of his America first ideology.

“If I’m elected your Senator, I’m gonna go to Washington and fight for pro-growth economic policy, fight for deregulation, fight for energy dominance,” McCormick said. “Someone asked me the other day, ‘are you America first?’ and I said I’ve been America First my whole life. I’m the one that volunteered when I was 18 and put it all on the line.”

Pennsylvania’s GOP Senate primary will occur on Tuesday, May 17.