Did Bob Casey Concede? Pennsylvania Senator Speaks Out as McCormick Wins

Democratic Senator Bob Casey has not conceded after Republican challenger David McCormick won Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate seat.

The Associated Press called the race for McCormick at 4:09 p.m. ET on Thursday when McCormick was leading by more than 30,000 votes, noting that while an estimated 91,000 votes were still outstanding, there were not enough in areas supporting the three-term incumbent to make up the difference.

By about 3:40 a.m. ET on Friday, Trump-backed McCormick was ahead by more than 34,000 votes with 98 percent of votes counted. McCormick has 49 percent of the vote, while Casey has 48.5 percent. If the race remains within less or equal to 0.5 percent, it would trigger an automatic recount under state law but candidates can also request a recount with no requirement for a specific margin.

In a statement on Thursday evening, Casey indicated he would not concede the race until every vote was counted.

“I have dedicated my life to making sure Pennsylvanians’ voices are heard, whether on the floor of the Senate or in a free and fair election,” Casey said in the statement, shared on social media by ABC producer Bob Siegel.

“It has been made clear there are more than 100,000 votes still to be counted. Pennsylvania is where our democratic process was born. We must allow that process to play out and ensure that every vote that is eligible to be counted will be counted. That is what Pennsylvania deserves.”

The Casey campaign has been contacted for comment via email.

McCormick’s victory adds to the GOP’s majority in the Senate, which they won control of from Democrats this week. As of Friday, Republicans have 53 seats in the Senate, having gained four seats, while Democrats currently hold 43 seats, including those who caucus with the party.

In an interview on Fox News shortly after the AP called the race, McCormick said there was “no mathematical path” for Casey to win.

“Listen, I lost an election by 900 votes… so I know Senator Casey’s got to process this,” he said. “He’s been in elected office for 30 years. His family’s had a great history of public service, and so you know he’s going to have to find his way to the right answer. But I think the math is indisputable, and I think that’s why the AP called it and why we’re confident moving forward to start preparing to be the next senator from Pennsylvania.”

McCormick added that he believes “what made the difference is people want change.”

He said: “They’re deeply distressed by the skyrocketing prices, the wide-open border, the crime in our cities, the war on fossil fuels, and they want change and common-sense leadership and that’s why I think they elected President Trump and I think that’s why they have elected me. I am honored to do it.”

Casey, the son and namesake of a two-term Pennsylvania governor, was elected to the Senate in 2006 and is Pennsylvania’s longest-serving Democrat ever in the Senate.

McCormick, former investment firm CEO, had run for Senate in 2022, but lost in the GOP primary to Trump-endorsed Mehmet Oz. John Fetterman later beat Oz by five points in the general election.