Sparks flew Tuesday when Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) and Republican candidate Dave McCormick met on the debate stage for their second and final standoff ahead of the November election.
The two candidates were pressed on a number of issues, including the economy, abortion, immigration, and more — with both Casey and McCormick taking stabs at their opponent in what is shaping up to be one of the most competitive Senate races this year. The race is also one of the most expensive races of the 2024 cycle, with more than $190 million being spent on the contest so far.
That spending is expected to exceed $316 million by the time Election Day rolls around, according to campaign ad tracking by AdImpact.
All eyes have been on Pennsylvania as the state is likely to not only determine which party will take control of the Senate but also the White House.
Here are three main takeaways from Casey’s and McCormick’s final matchup before Nov. 5:
1. Candidates trade personal barbs in between policy arguments
The candidates were asked for their stances on an array of policy issues, but that didn’t stop either Casey or McCormick from sneaking in jabs here and there on the other’s personal background.
For example, Casey circled back to his previous attacks against McCormick for being a wealthy ex-hedge fund CEO, mentioning that background almost a dozen times throughout the hourlong debate. Casey also accused his opponent of being tied to lobbyists, which he said could influence how he votes should he be elected to Congress.
“[This race is] about my work in the United States Senate and his work as a hedge fund CEO. And he doesn’t like the fact that I talk about his record as a hedge fund CEO,” Casey said. “That’s part of his record. That’s what I’m putting on the table.”
The pair both accused the other of being liars, with Casey pointing to McCormick’s residency in Connecticut as evidence the Republican challenger is a “carpetbagger” looking to run in a different state. McCormick has previously pushed back against those claims, noting he has lived in Pennsylvania since 2021.
Meanwhile, McCormick often referenced a website launched by his campaign titled “CaseyLies.com” as the two debated a number of issues such as the economy and foreign policy.
But one area McCormick sought to focus on was Casey’s three-term experience in the Senate as evidence he is a “career politician” — a phrase he repeated six times throughout the night. McCormick tried to prove that claim by tying Casey to President Joe Biden, noting the Democratic senator has voted with his administration 98.5% of the time.
In fact, McCormick used that voting record to tie Casey to many unpopular Biden administration policies by referring to them as “Biden-Harris-Casey” policies — a phrase he used at least seven times.
2. Presidential candidates weigh down Casey and McCormick on border policy dispute
One of the top voter issues of the 2024 election has been immigration and border security, particularly as the United States has experienced record-high illegal immigration numbers over the last four years.
Casey expressed his support for immigration reform, citing his two votes in favor of a bipartisan border bill that failed to pass the Senate after former President Donald Trump came out in opposition. Casey accused McCormick of opposing the bill because “the leader of his party told him he couldn’t support it for political reasons” in an effort to tie his opponent to the former president.
“He should stand up, show some guts, oppose the leader of his party, and support this bill,” Casey said.
McCormick pushed back on that assertion, claiming Democrats are seeking to “change the conversation” on border security while blaming the party for allowing a surge of illegal immigration in the first place.
“It didn’t truly secure the border,” McCormick said of the bipartisan border bill. “They are trying to change the conversation because they have failed to secure a border.”
Instead, McCormick said lawmakers should pass House Republican’s signature border bill, H.R. 2, that passed the lower chamber last year. However, it has not been brought to the floor for a vote in the Senate.
McCormick also painted himself as more capable of handling immigration-related issues, claiming he has been to the border more times than Casey.
“When you get there, you see that the wall stops under Biden, Harris, and Casey,” McCormick said. “People are walking across in the middle of the night.”
3. McCormick says ‘no one has less credibility’ on abortion than Casey
Another hot topic discussed on the debate stage was abortion, which is one of the top voter issues across the country and in the Keystone state.
Moderators pressed Casey on his stance, noting he previously referred to himself as a “pro-life Democrat” before changing his tune to more fiercely defend the procedure after Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022. Casey defended his shift, arguing the Supreme Court overturned a “49-year right” that he has voted to restore nationally.
McCormick accused the Democratic incumbent of flip-flopping on the issue — once again landing a punch with his “career politician” line.
“This is the perfect example. There is no senator in the United States Senate who has flip-flopped more on this issue than Sen. Casey,” McCormick said. “I don’t know how someone flip flops on this position when they held it so strongly then and don’t hold it now.”
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“There’s no one who has less credibility on this issue than Sen. Casey, and he’s essentially going where the wind goes,” McCormick added. “He’s been weak on this — and so many issues where his party has shifted to the left, he has shifted with them.”
Casey shot back, arguing that he has voted to restore federal access to abortion that was provided under Roe while accusing McCormick of not being willing to do so. McCormick has said he supports abortion access being left to the individual states.