Decision 2024: Pennsylvania’s 2024 U.S. Senate race

For a multitude of reasons, the eyes of politicos across the nation will once again be on Pennsylvania in 2024. Chief among them will be the commonwealth’s pivotal U.S. Senate race between incumbent U.S. Sen. Bob Casey and Republican challenger Dave McCormick. 

After losing a close GOP primary battle for Pennsylvania’s other U.S. Senate seat in 2022 to celebrity physician Mehmet Oz, McCormick secured the Republican nomination in 2024 with relative ease, lining up a general election matchup with Casey, who has served in the Senate since 2007. Nonpartisan election analysts believe the seat will lead to a competitive race this fall, with the Cook Political Report rating the race “Lean Democrat,” as did Sabato’s Crystal Ball, a project of the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics. Meanwhile, Inside Elections has the seat rated “Tilt Democratic” for 2024.

City & State has your guide to the campaign, with candidate endorsements and more.

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey

Casey has served in the U.S. Senate since winning his first general election in 2006 and subsequently being reelected in 2012 and 2018. Prior to his time in the Senate, he held statewide office, serving as Pennsylvania auditor general from 1997 to 2005 and then as Pennsylvania treasurer from 2005 to 2007. 

Throughout his time in the Senate, Casey’s work has focused heavily on policies designed to help children, disabled individuals and older adults, with Casey chairing the U.S. Senate Committee on Aging. Over the last year, Casey has also focused on “greedflation” – the purported use of inflation by companies to raise prices – and “shrinkflation” – the sale of products in smaller sizes and quantities at the same price. He has introduced legislation at the federal level, dubbed the Shrinkflation Prevention Act, that would authorize the Federal Trade Commission to crack down on the practice. 

During his time in the Senate and on the campaign trail, Casey has made protecting Social Security and Medicare another major priority. In an interview with City & State earlier this year, Casey called Medicare a vital program. “Medicare is so vital for the lives of tens of millions of Americans – and yet, it’s the official position of the Republican Party to turn Medicare into a voucher program,” Casey said. “They’ve proposed it year after year. It’s an obnoxious idea and we have to stop it.”

Endorsements: National Security Leaders for America, the Guardian Civic League, The BlueGreen Alliance, The Human Rights Campaign PAC, The Communications Workers of America; Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters; International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW); musician John Legend; UFCW Local 1776; Pittsburgh Regional Building Trades Council; American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 13; Pennsylvania State Education Association; Pennsylvania AFL-CIO; National Council of the United Mine Workers of America Coal Miners Political Action Committee; United Steelworkers (USW)

Dave McCormick

McCormick is the former CEO of asset management firm Bridgewater Associates. Prior to his time at Bridgewater, he had a stint in government as Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security in then-President George W. Bush’s administration and later as United States Deputy National Security Adviser for International Economic Affairs. He’s a U.S. Army veteran who graduated from West Point and was deployed to the Middle East during the First Gulf War. 

McCormick has sought to draw a stark contrast between himself and Casey throughout the campaign, including making promises to support policies that strengthen security at the U.S.-Mexico border and combat violent crime in the United States. He has also said America needs to strengthen its standing both domestically and on the world stage, telling City & State last year: “America needs to go to the gym and do the basic things we need to regain our strength, regain our internal strength,” he said.

McCormick spoke at this year’s Republican National Convention, where he said this year’s U.S. Senate election “is the most important election of our lifetimes,” adding: “My friends, the choice this November is clear. It’s a choice between strength and weakness, a choice between America’s greatness or its sad, disgraceful decline.”

Endorsements: Pennsylvania Fraternal Order of Police; Pennsylvania State Troopers Association; Combat Veterans For Congress PAC; Log Cabin Republicans PAC; Pennsylvania Republican Party; U.S. Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick, Dan Meuser, Scott Perry, Lloyd Smucker, John Joyce, Guy Reschenthaler, Mike Kelly and Glenn Thompson; state Sens. Ryan Aument, Camera Bartolotta, Frank Farry, Dan Laughlin, Scott Martin, Tracy Pennycuick, Joe Pittman, Devlin Robinson and Kim Ward; state Reps. Bryan Cutler, George Dunbar, Joe Hogan, Josh Kail, Andrew Kuzma, Shelby Labs, Tim O’Neal, Kristin Marcell, Rob Mercuri, Natalie Mihalek, Marci Mustello, Craig Staats, K.C. Tomlinson and Martina White; 2022 U.S. Senate Candidate Jeff Bartos; former Pennsylvania Republican Party Chair Rob Gleason; Republican National Committeewoman Christine Torretti Republican National Committee Chair Andy Reilly; Adams County Sheriff James Muller; Armstrong County Sheriff Frank Pitzer; Beaver County Sheriff Tony Guy; Bedford County Sheriff Wayne Emerick, Jr.; Berks County Sheriff Eric Weaknecht; Blair County Sheriff James (Jim) Ott; Bradford County Sheriff C.J Walters; Bucks County Sheriff Fred Harran; Butler County Sheriff Michael Slupe; Cambria County Sheriff Don Robertson; Cameron County Sheriff Doug Homan (acting); Carbon County Sheriff Daniel Zeigler; Centre County Sheriff Bryan Sampsel; Clarion County Sheriff Shawn Zerfoss; Clearfield County Sheriff Michael B. Churner; Crawford County Sheriff David Powers; Cumberland County Sheriff Jody Smith; Dauphin County Sheriff Nick Chimienti; Elk County Sheriff Todd Caltagarone; Fayette County Sheriff James Custer; Forest County Sheriff William D. Carbaugh Jr.; Franklin County Sheriff Ben Sites; Huntingdon County Sheriff Jeffrey Leonard; Indiana County Sheriff Robert Fyock; Jefferson County Sheriff Sam Bartley; Lancaster County Sheriff Christopher Leppler; Lebanon County Sheriff Jeff Marley Jr.; Lycoming County Sheriff R. Mark Lusk; McKean County Sheriff Daniel J. Woods; Mercer County Sheriff Tim Callahan; Mifflin County Sheriff Jim Drayer; Perry County Sheriff David Hammar; Pike County Sheriff Kerry Welsh; Potter County Sheriff Kevin Siska; Snyder County Sheriff John A. Zechman; Somerset County Sheriff Dusty Weir; Sullivan County Sheriff Jerrod Houck; Susquehanna County Sheriff Lance Benedict; Tioga County Sheriff Frank Levindoski; Union County Sheriff Ernest R. Ritter, III; Venango County Sheriff Eric Foy; Warren County Sheriff Scott Neiswonger; Washington County Sheriff Tony Andronas; Wayne County Sheriff Chris Rosler; Westmoreland County Sheriff James D. Albert; Wyoming County Sheriff Bob Roberts; York County Sheriff Rich Keuerleber