
Why Pennsylvania GOP’s endorsement of Senate candidate McCormick is a big deal
Salena Zito
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HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania — Washington County native David McCormick secured the Pennsylvania Republican Party’s endorsement this weekend in his bid to unseat Democrat Bob Casey, the Scranton incumbent who has held the U.S. Senate seat since January of 2007.
The unanimous endorsement was “very important,” explained Charlie Gerow, a Harrisburg-based media consultant who ran in the crowded Republican primary for governor in the state last year and knows a little about the impact a fractured party can have on a general election race.
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“They delivered him a significant strategic victory with their overwhelming endorsement this weekend; it virtually assures that no other serious candidate will enter the race,” said Gerow of the often divided Pennsylvania Republican Party.
Gerow said after the vote endorsing him that the state Republican Party sees McCormick as their best hope of defeating Casey and retaking the U.S. Senate majority.
“That endorsement provides the McCormick team with an opportunity to marshal resources, save money, and build a superb ground operation. It also gives Dave McCormick, who’s proved to be an outstanding retail campaigner, the opportunity to do even more of that,” he said.
Gerow said the Gulf War veteran and former hedge fund CEO gave just the right speech after the vote.
Casey has been in elected office in Pennsylvania since he first ran for auditor general, a statewide elected office, in 1996. His father Bob Casey Sr. was a popular governor from 1987 through 1994, although his strong opposition to abortion put him at odds with the Democratic Party.
McCormick, 58, lost last year’s GOP primary race to celebrity Dr. Mehmet Oz, who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump but not the state party, by less than 1,000 votes.
McCormick said he was “deeply humbled to receive the unanimous endorsement of the Republican Party of Pennsylvania” and stressed that a GOP “united as one will win across the state and will defeat Bob Casey and bring strong leadership to Washington on behalf of the commonwealth.”
Pennsylvania remains one of the most important states in the country not just in the presidential election for its all-important 19 electoral votes, but also for the balance of power in the Senate as well as the House. The House delegation is currently split 50-50 with 9 seats for each party.
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Former state party chairman Bob Gleason said the early endorsement for McCormick for the primary that isn’t until next spring shows the confidence the committee has that he can defeat Casey.
“It also showed,” he said, that “the party has learned its lesson of its non-endorsement in 2022.”