A recount is set to take place in the Pennsylvania Senate race, with Republican Dave McCormick maintaining a narrow lead over Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.), a result that could prove for the GOP’s control of the Senate. Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt confirmed the development on Wednesday.
McCormick’s lead, consistently around 30,000 votes, falls within the threshold required for an automatic recount. According to Pennsylvania law, any statewide race where the margin is one-half of a percentage point or less must undergo a recount, as determined by the secretary of the commonwealth.
Casey’s campaign stays optimistic, pointing to provisional ballots as a potential game-changer in the Senate race
Despite several outlets, including The Associated Press, declaring McCormick the winner, Casey’s campaign has not conceded. Decision Desk HQ has yet to make a call on the race.
Maddy McDaniel, a spokesperson for Casey, expressed confidence on Friday, stating that the particular number of provisional ballots, particularly from areas favorable to Casey like Philadelphia and its suburbs, makes the race too close to call. “The counting of these ballots could affect the outcome,” she noted, referring to a lawsuit filed by the McCormick campaign earlier in the day.
McCormick delivered a speech on Friday in Pittsburgh, telling his supporters it was time to “move forward on the people’s business.” Reflecting on his own narrow loss to Mehmet Oz in the 2022 GOP Senate primary, McCormick emphasized the certainty of his win.
“We knew on election night we had won, because the math was clear,” he said, adding that while Casey would need to pass the process, it was time for the country to move in a new direction. Should McCormick’s lead hold, his victory would secure a crucial 53rd seat for the Republicans in the Senate.
