This Week in Pennsylvania: U.S. Senate candidate Dave McCormick

(WHTM) – On This Week in Pennsylvania, Dennis Owens is joined by Republican U.S. Senate candidate Dave McCormick.

When asked by voters should support him over a third-term Democratic incumbent Senator Bob Casey, McCormick said he believes “the county is in deep trouble” across the board and that he’s “someone who’s from the outside.”

McCormick described Casey as “out of touch” with every day Pennsylvanians and someone who’s supported President Joe Biden’s “Bidenomics” policies.

“Sixty percent of Pennsylvanians live paycheck to paycheck, for them prices have gone up 20% and wages have gone up 14-15%, so they’re getting squeezed on food, fuel, and rent,” said McCormick.

A former hedge fund manager, McCormick said both Republicans and Democrats have “been spending too much money for decades.”

Early in his campaign, Casey has run on “greedflation” and “shrinkflation” claiming corporations are making more than ever and shrinking the sizes of their packaging while charging the same or higher prices.

McCormick says while some companies may be changing the size of their packaging, it’s ultimately, he says, a “distraction” from the president’s policies.

Pennsylvania Senate Race; Dave McCormick responds to New York Times article on upbringing

Born in Pittsburgh and raised in Bloomsburg, McCormick continues to face criticism over his time living on Connecticut’s “Gold Coast, which was highlighted during the 2022 campaign and prior to him jumping into the 2024 race.

Early in the 2024 race, McCormick has attempted to remind voters of his Pennsylvania roots, rolling out ads highlighting his high school wrestling career before going to West Point and his roots as a “seventh generation Pennsylvanian.”

McCormick earned a Bronze Star while serving in the 82nd Airborne Division during the Gulf War. He entered the private sector and became a top executive of Bridgewater, which, as noted by the Associated Press in 2022, was “notable for its sizable portfolio that catered to Chinese investors investing in China.”

He also served in the U.S. Treasury Department during George W. Bush’s administration and was reportedly considered for multiple cabinet positions under Donald Trump.

A New York Times story on McCormick looked back at his upbringing, pointing out that while he worked on his family’s farm, he grew up modestly in Bloomsburg while his father led the Bloomsburg State College.

“What I’ve said is I’ve had a modest beginning,” said McCormick when asked if he wants voters to believe he grew up poor, adding “everything that I have I’ve earned myself.”

“There’s nothing about my career or life that I’m not proud of,” said McCormick. who was given a clear path to the primary this year after a bruising campaign in 2022 where he lost to Mehmet Oz by less than 1,000 votes.

After State Senator and 2022 gubernatorial nominee Doug Mastriano announced he would not run for U.S. Senate, the Pennsylvania Republican Party rallied around McCormick, seemingly learning from the 2022 Senate race where seven Republicans made the primary ballot.

In 2022, former President Trump’s endorsement of Oz over McCormick likely shifted the primary, though Oz ultimately lost the general election to John Fetterman by more than 263,000 votes. This time, Trump has endorsed McCormick heading into the uncontested primary.

“I think President Trump and I both agree that we have to change the leadership of the country, we agree that Pennsylvania is critical to that.”

In a race that may decide how the U.S. Senate swings in 2025, Casey has led McCormick in most major polls. A March Emerson College/abc27/The Hill poll showed Casey leading 45% to 41% with 14% undecided.

McCormick said one of several places he’d differ from Casey is on the border. Acknowledging it’d be controversial, McCormick said he would support selectively sending the U.S. military into Mexico to go after the cartels.

“I would put them across the border to take out the cartels,” said McCormick.

On the issue of abortion, McCormick said he believes its a states-rights issue and there should not be a federal abortion law.

“I’m opposed to bans, I’m for the three exceptions,” said McCormick, who noted the exceptions to be rape, incest, and life of the mother. “I think we can find common ground on this.”

Pennsylvania’s primary election is April 23 and the General Election is November 5.

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