Senate Republicans are narrowing down their list of preferred candidates to take on Democratic incumbents in key swing states, with party leaders looking to give businessman David McCormick a second shot at flipping a Senate seat in Pennsylvania.
McCormick has not announced whether he intends to launch a Senate bid, but the businessman is expected to make a decision by early fall, sources told Reuters. McCormick previously ran for Senate in Pennsylvania during last year’s midterm elections but lost to Dr. Mehmet Oz in the GOP primary.
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Oz later went on to face Democratic candidate John Fetterman, who ultimately won and flipped the seat blue — marking a major win for Democrats and helping the party win a slim majority in the upper chamber. Republicans have since pointed to Oz’s candidacy as a reason for their loss, citing “candidate quality” problems that cost them the Senate majority.
GOP leaders are seeking to learn from past mistakes by endorsing candidates early on in the primary elections as a way to elevate stronger candidates to the top of the ballot. As a result, National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Steve Daines (R-MT) has already made a number of endorsements in key Senate races, including those in Montana, West Virginia, and Nevada.
Now the Montana Republican is turning his eyes to Pennsylvania, where he hopes McCormick will throw his hat in the ring.
“I’m very pleased to see Dave give this serious consideration,” Daines told Reuters. “He’s got to get in the race first. But I think Dave would be a great candidate.”
“I want to see candidates that can win not only a primary election, but importantly can win a general election and appeal to independent voters,” he said. “David McCormick would fit that profile.”
Should he run, McCormick would face Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA), who is seen as one of the most vulnerable senators up for reelection in 2024. The race is expected to lean Democratic, but the state has emerged as a key swing state in recent years after former President Donald Trump narrowly won by 0.72 percentage points in 2020.
Early polling shows Casey with an advantage over McCormick in a hypothetical matchup 45% to 35%, according to an April survey by Franklin and Marshall College. Casey also benefits from strong fundraising numbers after raking in more than $4 million during the second quarter, marking a record high for the incumbent.
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There are 34 Senate seats up for grabs in the 2024 election cycle. Of these, Democrats must defend 23, compared to just 11 for Republicans — putting the GOP in a strong position to flip some crucial Senate seats that could easily shift the balance of power in the upper chamber.
Democrats hold a 51-49 majority in the Senate, with the advantage of having Vice President Kamala Harris as a tiebreaker vote if needed. As a result, Republicans only need to flip one Senate seat to win the majority should they win back the White House in 2024. If they don’t regain the Oval Office, the party needs to secure two extra Senate seats.
