In the final showdown of the 2024 U.S. Senate races, Pennsylvania’s contest is set for a recount despite Republican Dave McCormick’s substantial lead over Democrat incumbent Bob Casey. With a solid advantage of around 28,000 votes, McCormick’s victory seems all but confirmed, yet here we are, watching the wheels of bureaucracy grind into action for a statewide recount that seems more about formality than feasibility.
This recount, initiated by Pennsylvania’s Democratic Secretary of State Al Schmidt because of a margin just shy of the 0.5% required, appears more like a desperate attempt to reinstate Senator Casey than a routine procedural action. Notably, Casey himself refrained from requesting this recount, perhaps to avoid the appearance of contesting the election results in poor taste. Instead, it’s left to Secretary Schmidt to make the push.
Meanwhile, McCormick has been proactive, participating in the Senate orientation in Washington D.C., a move that initially saw resistance from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer—another Democrat clinging to any thread of hope to keep the seat blue. It’s indicative of the desperation festering within the Democratic ranks, while the race has already been called by the Associated Press, NPR, and Fox News with McCormick as the winner.
On the ground, accusations fly thick and fast with claims of voter suppression and attempts to disrupt the counting of provisional ballots. Democrats in Bucks County are pushing to count over 400 mail-in ballots missing handwritten dates—clearly flouting election rules to scrape up every last vote they can. It’s a sad spectacle of partisanship over principle, undermining the electoral process.
Bob Casey, riding into the Senate on the blue wave of 2006 and unseating Rick Santorum, finds his political career hanging by a thread, opposed by McCormick, a figure who despite narrowly missing the Senate seat in 2022 to Dr. Oz, has rebounded impressively. His unchallenged primary run this year sets him apart as the lone successful Republican Senate candidate in the crucial Rust Belt region.
As Pennsylvania gears up for this recount set to begin by November 20th and wrap up by the 26th, the efforts seem more like a last-ditch attempt by Democrats to delay the inevitable. McCormick stands ready to take office, a testament to Republican resilience and a reminder of the shifting political tides as Democrats resort to legal wrangling to cling to power.
McCormick’s win not only marks a significant Republican victory but also symbolizes the broader success of GOP challengers who have managed to flip Democratic seats, signaling a decisive shift in voter sentiment. This recount, while procedurally mandated, is unlikely to deter the inevitable: Dave McCormick is set to represent Pennsylvania in the U.S. Senate.
