HARRISBURG, Pa. — Democratic Sen. Bob Casey went head-to-head with Republican challenger Dave McCormick in a bitter first debate Thursday night time that mirrored the shut nature and excessive stakes of a race that might assist decide the steadiness of energy in Washington.
The hourlong showdown touched on matters from the economic system to abortion to vitality — and it regularly received private, as every candidate repeatedly tried to color the opposite as a liar. Casey focused questions on McCormick’s residency and his work as a hedge fund supervisor, whereas McCormick attacked Casey, a three-term incumbent, as a profession politician who’s a rubber-stamp for Democratic leaders.
“Probably the largest lie informed in the entire election,” Casey stated, “was a lie when my opponent stated he lived in Pennsylvania when he was dwelling in Connecticut.”
McCormick maintained that he lived in Pennsylvania when he launched his Senate marketing campaign in 2024, in addition to in 2022, when he misplaced to Mehmet Oz within the Republican major. He has a house in Pittsburgh and owns a household farm in Bloomsburg, and he beforehand had a residence in Connecticut, the place his daughter from a earlier marriage lives.
“I’m a seventh-generation Pennsylvanian,” he stated, acknowledging that he just lately lived in Connecticut whereas he was the CEO of a hedge fund.
It’s a method Democrats have emphasised for the reason that outset of the marketing campaign and one which was profitable for them in 2022, when Democrat John Fetterman defeated Oz, who had a home in New Jersey. Outside the WHTM-TV studio the place Casey and McCormick debated, a slew of individuals aligned with Casey’s marketing campaign held indicators calling McCormick an out-of-state candidate.
McCormick tried to deflect the road of assault on the controversy stage by arguing Casey has little present for his lengthy profession in public workplace.
“When you don’t have a report to run on, which Sen. Casey doesn’t, you assault your opponent,” McCormick shot again. “I remind your viewers to go to ‘Caseylies.com,’ as a result of he’s telling some whoppers; there’s numerous Pinocchios right here,” he stated of a web site his crew launched earlier than the controversy.
Casey invoked McCormick’s Wall Street profession quite a few instances, notably Bridgewater Associates’ investments in China when McCormick oversaw the fund. McCormick defended the investments, saying they have been 3% of the corporate’s total portfolio.
“He’s purchased and paid for by these billionaires and firms,” Casey stated.
Polls present Casey and McCormick are locked in a good race that might play a significant position in figuring out which occasion wins management of the narrowly divided Senate this fall. They have been additionally pressed about their alignment with their occasion’s presidential nominees, with Pennsylvania serving as a crucial swing state within the battle for the White House.
“Sen. Casey stood subsequent to Joe Biden when he may hardly end a sentence — we noticed this on the controversy stage — and stated he’s able to go,” McCormick stated, referring to Casey’s help for Biden after his stalling June debate efficiency when many different Democrats stored their distance.
McCormick stated that when Vice President Kamala Harris changed Biden because the Democratic nominee, Casey shortly modified his tune. “Sen. Casey stated, ‘Kamala Harris is nice!’” McCormick stated.
Casey stated “we’ll by no means know the reply” if Harris’ changing Biden was the most effective resolution for the occasion.
“The voters are going to decide. … I believe Vice President Harris is working a powerful marketing campaign,” Casey stated. “I believe she’ll carry Pennsylvania; it’s going to be very shut.”
McCormick, who commonly campaigns with former President Donald Trump, stated he does disagree with him on sure coverage proposals. He famous that he opposes the state and native tax deduction benefiting states comparable to New York and New Jersey, which Trump helps. In an interview Monday, McCormick additionally stated he differs with Trump on continued funding for war-torn Ukraine.
Moments after they shook palms at first of the controversy, McCormick wasted little time earlier than he slammed Casey over his vote on the 2015 Iran nuclear deal throughout the Obama administration, a regulation all however 4 Democratic senators supported.
“Casey was the deciding vote that gave Iran $100 billion of sanction cash that has been used to underwrite terrorism — that’s the place all these missiles are coming from,” McCormick stated in response to the moderator’s first query in regards to the battle within the Middle East.
Casey and McCormick each stated the U.S. wants to face with Israel and refused to attract crimson strains for his or her help of the nation within the rising regional battle.
Abortion, a key concern for voters in Pennsylvania, the place it’s unrestricted as much as 24 weeks of being pregnant, supplied each candidates a possibility to centralize their messages.
Casey, who now helps eliminating the Senate’s 60-vote threshold to codify federal abortion protections, stated the Roe v. Wade ruling, which the Supreme Court struck down in 2022, was the “consensus throughout the nation” that allowed for “cheap restrictions.”
McCormick stated that he prefers that the problem be left as much as the states and that he wouldn’t vote for laws to limit or codify the process federally.
“There’s no senator who flip-flopped on abortion extra,” McCormick stated, referring to Casey’s calling himself “pro-life” previously.
With fentanyl deaths hitting Pennsylvania communities arduous, each candidates addressed their positions on immigration and the U.S.-Mexico border, the place the drug is trafficked.
Casey stated he “completely” helps the insurance policies of the Biden administration, noting that unlawful border crossings have decreased in current months. He slammed McCormick for opposing a current bipartisan border safety invoice, which Trump was additionally in opposition to.
“We’ve received to put money into hiring 1000’s extra Border Patrol [agents]. That’s within the invoice that I voted for twice this yr. The invoice that my opponent opposes as a result of the chief of his occasion stated ‘don’t help it,’” he stated.
McCormick slammed Casey for not having just lately visited the border, and he stated he would have voted in opposition to the “dangerous invoice” impartial of Trump. “I’m my very own man,” he stated.
Natural vitality, a prime trade within the state, was additionally a subject.
“The identical man who lies about the place he lives has been mendacity about my place on fracking,” Casey stated. “I voted in opposition to a fracking ban.”
McCormick responded: “This shouldn’t be a man who’s been a powerful pal of the vitality sector and the pure fuel sector. He stated you possibly can’t drill your option to success. … So the senator right here needs to have it each methods, as a result of he’s a profession politician.”
Harrisburg Community College scholar Daniel Dolan, a first-time voter attending a watch occasion organized by a libertarian group for undecided Pennsylvanians, stated that he’s leaning towards supporting McCormick and that he finds Casey “robotic.”
“Bob Casey, his fundamental factor was speaking about how Dave McCormick was the CEO for this firm,” Dolan stated. “I might have preferred Bob Casey to possibly broaden out just a little bit and make some higher factors, but it surely appeared like he was making the identical few factors.”