Bob Casey Concedes to David McCormick in Pennsylvania Senate Race


Senator Bob Casey, a three-term Democrat from Pennsylvania long seen as an institution in state politics, conceded on Thursday to his Republican challenger, the former hedge-fund executive David McCormick, amid a recount in one of the nation’s top Senate races.

Their Senate contest is the only one that has yet to be called by The New York Times, after heading to a recount because Mr. McCormick led by less than half a percentage point. As Republicans looked to add Pennsylvania to their win column after seizing control of the Senate, the post-election period set off a legal battle between the two sides.

“This race was one of the closest in our commonwealth’s history,” Mr. Casey said in a statement. “I am grateful to the thousands of people who worked to make sure every eligible vote cast could be counted.”

In his second time running for Senate in Pennsylvania, Mr. McCormick channeled the sour national mood into what appears to be a stunning victory over a well-established incumbent in a top battleground state. Republicans are now set to hold a 53-to-47 advantage in the Senate in addition to narrowly controlling the House, giving President-elect Donald J. Trump more flexibility to pursue his agenda.

Mr. Casey’s apparent loss was all the more surprising because he had been seen as one of his party’s strongest incumbents, and Democrats in several other tough races — in Michigan, Wisconsin and Nevada — managed to prevail.

A mild-mannered Scranton native, Mr. Casey is the son of a popular former governor of the state. His family name has long been synonymous with white working-class Democrats even as those voters have shifted hard against the party in the Trump era.





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