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PHILADELPHIA — This race will be different for Bob Casey.
The three-term senator has faced challengers before but never one as well-funded and with as much early GOP support as Dave McCormick. And the Pennsylvania Democrat made the stakes known at the first rally of his campaign in Philadelphia on Friday.
“This is going to be a long, tough race,” Casey said from a podium at the Laborers’ District Council Training Institute on North Broad Street. “But I’m ready… because you know what, so much is on the line in this race for our commonwealth and for our country.”
Casey, the son of a governor who first was elected to the Senate in 2006, is a known name in Pennsylvania. He’s a mild-mannered legislator, known for being less of a showman or party spokesman than some colleagues in the Senate. That can be a strength, as it makes him seem reasonable and relatable to voters in a swing state where the average age of voters skews older than elsewhere in the country.
But it can also be an obstacle during a campaign all about drawing attention as he stares down a formidable challenger.
Friday’s rally — a full nine months before the Nov. 5 election — was a chance to pull the spotlight toward him.
“I’m not gonna look in the rearview mirror,” Casey said. “There are fights out there we have to win. And a lot of those fights are going to be on the ballot in 2024.”
McCormick has locked up GOP support early and virtually cleared the primary field, jump-starting the general election race between the two men for a seat that could help determine control of the Senate. His potential strengths in the race against Casey include his personal wealth, substantial financial backing and relative familiarity with voters from his unsuccessful 2022 primary run for Senate.
The Pennsylvania poll released this week from Susquehanna Polling & Research showed the two men running neck and neck and President Joe Biden outperforming Casey slightly in the state. A poll released earlier this month showed Casey leading by 10 points in the race.
This Senate contest is almost guaranteed to be more muted in tone than the heated midterm battle between now Sen. John Fetterman and celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz. Casey and McCormick already have started throwing punches, but they land more softly. While Fetterman and Oz traded personal jabs on social media, McCormick has on several occasions described Casey as a nice guy.
What won’t be different is the money pouring into the race. McCormick already has the backing of a super PAC that’s raked in more than $18 million, funded by hedge fund CEOs. Casey brought it up in his speech Friday, calling his opponent “funded by a small group of billionaires.”
But when asked by reporters, Casey said he wouldn’t turn down PAC money. “I’m going to raise the money that I need to win this.”
By holding his first campaign event with union members in “The Boyer Room,” named after Philadelphia labor leader Ryan Boyer, Casey made a direct appeal to unions in the state, several of which already have backed him. He framed his campaign as a fight for working people.
“It’s going to be a big contrast in this race, who’s on the side of families and who’s on the side of big corporations that are raking in record profits,” Casey said.
Holding the event with Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, who was introduced as the most pro-union mayor in history, further positioned Casey as an ally of labor. Parker, the first woman to lead the city, helped amp up the crowd with her energetic introduction of Casey.
“Sen. Casey has delivered consistently and constantly for our city,” she said after listing off several federal grants for SEPTA, water and infrastructure. “Thank you for not bringing home slogans.”
Casey used the event to lay out issues that will be central to his campaign, noting the race will be about protecting women’s reproductive rights, democracy and Biden policies that he says have helped Pennsylvanians. He also attacked McCormick on some policy issues.
“I’m the senator who voted to cap insulin costs,” he said. “He wants to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act.”
Casey also hinted at a potential split with Biden, his fellow Scranton native, on an issue that could affect jobs in the state. The Biden administration, citing environmental concerns, announced this week it would pause new permits on liquefied natural gas plants, an industry that has a large presence in Pennsylvania.
“I’m gonna take a look at the determination they made, but what I want to make sure that we do in Pennsylvania is take full advantage of the resources we have to create jobs, natural gas jobs, jobs in the energy sector in our state,” Casey said. “And whatever is going to help advance job creation in Pennsylvania, that’s what I’m going to be for.”
McCormick said he opposes the pause.
“America and PA lead the world in Liquified Natural Gas, creating jobs for our people & allies for our country,” he wrote on social media platform X. “Joe Biden is dead wrong on #LNG.”
An issue that is guaranteed to keep coming up is China. McCormick, in his last campaign event in December, outlined a six-point plan for tackling China’s threats to the U.S. economy and security. Casey has criticized McCormick’s past investments in China and touted his own lengthy record in the Senate on policies related to the country.
In many ways, Casey finds himself in the same situation as Biden, a Democratic incumbent running in a general election that began long before the primary season ended. How they help or hurt each other on the ballot remains to be seen.
Casey wouldn’t speculate if he could win the state if Biden lost it in his expected rematch with former President Donald Trump.
“I think people are making a decision on each individual race, and we’ll see what they do,” he told reporters. “We’re gonna win. We’re gonna figure out a way to win.”
Asked if he thought the GOP presidential primary was indeed over, Casey said he does — and then reminded reporters where they were.
“It sure looks like that, yeah,” Casey said. “But my race against David McCormick is in front of the people as well, and we’re ready for that race.”
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