Casey, a three-term senator who has constructed such a average, mild-mannered repute he has been in comparison with oatmeal, is within the crosshairs of nationwide Republican leaders. Senate Minority Chief Mitch McConnell has recognized Casey as one in every of his high targets in 2024, going as far as to rank his seat alongside these held by Senate Democrats in solidly crimson states corresponding to West Virginia and Montana.
Republicans are desperately attempting to lure former enterprise government David McCormick, who they see as the very best challenger, into the race. The social gathering institution caught a break this week when MAGA firebrand state Sen. Doug Mastriano introduced that he wouldn’t run for the Senate “right now,” probably clearing the trail to the nomination for McCormick.
However behind the scenes, GOP elected officers, strategists and donors are nonetheless not bullish about their possibilities towards Casey. They’re properly conscious that he has gained all of his Senate elections by double digits or near it. They know he’s an establishment within the state and the son of the late anti-abortion Gov. Robert Casey, Sr. And as working-class white voters have bolted from most Democrats, GOP insiders worry Casey nonetheless has a maintain on a lot of them, partly resulting from his household identify.
“Bob Casey is political royalty in Pennsylvania. He’s an incumbent senator who’s beloved,” mentioned Republican Carla Sands, an envoy to Denmark below former President Donald Trump who ran unsuccessfully for the Senate within the state final yr. “I feel he’s powerful to beat.”
If Trump wins the presidential nomination, some Republicans fear it might make an already tough scenario all however inconceivable. They’re involved that Trump, who misplaced Pennsylvania to President Joe Biden in 2020, may very well be a drag on down-ballot candidates and power them to reply for his unpredictable feedback. As he decides whether or not to run, McCormick himself is weighing the prospect of working alongside Trump, in line with two Republicans near him.
“It positively makes it more durable for a Republican to win the Senate race if Trump is on the ticket for certain. For a Republican to beat Casey, I feel the GOP presidential nominee has to win Pennsylvania,” mentioned Josh Novotney, a Pennsylvania-based Republican strategist. “Casey is extra fashionable than Biden in Pennsylvania and can seemingly outperform him.”
Although Republicans see Casey as a robust contender, the Senate map total in 2024 closely favors their social gathering. Democrats are on protection in 23 states, a number of of them in battlegrounds and full-blown MAGA nation. Republicans are going through reelection in simply 11 states, with the most effective alternatives for Democrats mendacity in hostile territory like Florida and Texas. Republicans solely have to flip two Senate seats — or one in the event that they win the White Home — to take again management of the higher chamber.
However the GOP’s evaluation of Casey underscores one other dynamic in Senate races that complicates the image subsequent yr. Democrats have a number of battle-tested senators on their roster in 2024 — like Sherrod Brown, Jon Tester and probably Joe Manchin — who’re extensively seen as expert opponents and have outperformed different candidates of their social gathering.
Through the blue wave of 2018, Casey carried the state by 13 proportion factors, two years after Hillary Clinton misplaced Pennsylvania to Trump. In 2012, Casey gained by 9 proportion factors, in comparison with then-President Barack Obama’s 5-point margin of victory.
Republicans mentioned one problem confronting them is that Casey is so bland that he’s not hated by anybody, an identical dilemma they confronted in 2020 with Biden. One other is Casey’s constituent providers.
“His staffers who signify him are very efficient,” mentioned Jackie Kulback, chair of the Cambria County Republican Social gathering. “They’re serving to with constituent points, issues like that. That helps you win elections.”
Plus, she mentioned, “Truthfully, I feel there’s lots of people who nonetheless suppose that they’re voting for his dad.”
The view of Casey inside the GOP underscores why Republicans in each Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C. have aggressively wooed McCormick — and dissuaded Mastriano from leaping into the race. Private and non-private polls have proven Casey main McCormick, however that the race can be nearer if McCormick is on the ticket.
After the Senate GOP’s marketing campaign arm took a hands-off method to primaries final yr to disappointing outcomes, the Nationwide Republican Senatorial Committee is getting concerned this time round in a number of states in hopes of nominating high-quality candidates. Republican officers consider McCormick, a fight veteran and former hedge fund CEO, can enchantment to suburban voters and assist finance what is predicted to be a extremely costly marketing campaign towards Casey.
“A troublesome GOP opponent who’s properly funded might give him a race,” mentioned Novotney.
Keith Rothfus, a former GOP congressman, can be eyeing the Senate contest. Sands, the previous ambassador, not too long ago declined to rule out a 2024 run.
Regardless of many Republicans’ less-than-optimistic angle towards Casey, the Democrat shouldn’t be with out vulnerabilities. He has moved leftward lately — one liberal Philadelphia columnist dubbed him “Woke Bob Casey” — which might give a gap to Republicans to problem his average picture. Biden’s approval scores are dismal and will pull down Casey and different Democrats on the poll. Casey has voted with Biden nearly 99 % of the time, in line with politics knowledge website FiveThirtyEight, a indisputable fact that the GOP is keen to focus on. And Casey has gotten fortunate, working in good years for Democrats.
In an announcement Thursday after Mastriano’s announcement, McCormick signaled the traces of assault he would use on Casey had been he to run.
“I’m critically contemplating a run for the U.S. Senate as a result of Bob Casey has persistently made life worse for Pennsylvania households over the previous 18 years, and our state deserves higher,” he mentioned. “He’s overtly hostile to our state’s vitality trade, endorses harmful criminals strolling freely on our streets, and is enabling open borders, resulting in a terrifying rise in fentanyl deaths in Pennsylvania.”
Casey’s marketing campaign supervisor, Tiernan Donohue, shot again: “Bob Casey is a champion for Pennsylvania who has spent his life combating towards the ultra-wealthy and particular pursuits that threaten Pennsylvania’s hardworking individuals — from nations like China that threaten our jobs, to large insurance coverage corporations which might be elevating our well being care prices. In the meantime, David McCormick is a Connecticut hedge fund government who bought wealthy outsourcing jobs, shedding employees, and cozying as much as China.”
Republicans additionally consider that latest headlines about Casey are one other legal responsibility, and that they haven’t been litigated in TV adverts earlier than. Casey’s brother registered to foyer final yr and a March article by the New York Submit discovered that Casey’s marketing campaign paid his sister’s firm for printing providers. Casey’s workplace has mentioned his brother is not going to foyer him, in accordance with Senate ethics guidelines.
Some within the GOP even suppose that Trump sharing a ticket with McCormick can be a constructive for the 2 males. They envision a repeat of 2016, when Trump and then-Sen. Pat Toomey each gained Pennsylvania, however with totally different paths: Toomey carried out higher in suburban areas, whereas Trump was stronger in rural components of the state.
“To beat Bob Casey, you’ll want to recreate the 2016 Toomey-Trump coalition,” mentioned a nationwide GOP strategist granted anonymity to debate social gathering technique. “You blow it out within the rural areas and maintain down Democrat numbers within the suburbs.”
And, some Republicans mentioned, the advantages of Casey’s identify is likely to be lastly starting to fade.
“I feel what Bobby has at all times had going for him is his dad’s legacy,” mentioned Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-Pa.). “However I’ll say that I feel nearly all of voters in Pennsylvania are at an age the place they don’t bear in mind Bob Sr.”
Ally Mutnick contributed to this text.
