NORTH WHITEHALL TWP., Pa. — Before a crowd of about 150 supporters at Lehigh Valley Sporting Clays, David McCormick addressed the trope politicians pull out every cycle.
Every time, the campaigns say people need to show up to vote because the stakes are too high. Every time, the election is the most important ever. Yes, it's tired, the U.S. Senate candidate conceded, but is it wrong this time around?
"For all of us who have been around for a while, can you think of a more important election in our lifetimes?" he asked the crowd as many shook their heads. "Can you think of one where the country seems so fragile? Can you think of one where the consequences of getting it wrong seemed so unbelievably scary?"
That fear for the future dominated the two-hour Sportsmen for Dave rally in Lehigh County.
U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, was the main speaker. He endorsed McCormick and held him up as the type of candidate needed in Congress.
McCormick, Jordan and millionaire conservative donor Bill Bachenberg — owner of Lehigh Valley Sporting Clays — argued that nothing short of America's viability hangs in the balance this November.
"For all of us who have been around for a while, can you think of a more important election in our lifetimes?"David McCormick, U.S. Senate candidate
Voting for former President Donald Trump and McCormick would mean getting the nation back on the right foot in terms of morality, security and economics, they said.
"We need people in the United States Senate, in the government, who want to protect the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Dave McCormick is that type of guy, and you know it," Jordan said.
McCormick painted a bleak picture of the current state of America. He pointed to rising inflation, high energy costs, the fentanyl crisis, high crime and an open border. And every one of those problems, he said, has come on the watch of his opponent, Democratic incumbent U.S. Sen. Bob Casey.
McCormick blamed Casey for a Biden prisoner exchange deal with Iran that unfroze $6 billion of assets for the Middle Eastern country. While the money was limited to humanitarian aid, critics like McCormick argued the payment freed up money for Iran to fund acts of terrorism against American allies.
And Casey's support of massive spending bills, he said, has allowed American debt to pile up to the point that the nation's interest payments are about to exceed its military spending.
"Bob Casey hides. Bob Casey doesn't lead. Bob Casey isn't equipped to deal with the crises that we're sitting in," he said.
"Bob Casey has voted for all of the policies that have put our country in such a precarious spot," he added.
Down-ballot races
Jordan and McCormick spoke about the importance of Republican candidates winning up and down the ballot, but Bachenberg was the only one who specifically endorsed candidates in the Lehigh Valley's congressional or state House races.
On the eve of the primary, Bachenberg decried politicians who failed to live up to voter expectations. As an example, he called out state Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, a 12-year veteran of Harrisburg now running for Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District.
"If you shake the hands of most politicians, you don't even get the chance to turn your back to get stabbed in the back. They just stab you right in the heart."Bill Bachenberg, Republican donor
Mackenzie never voted for a tax increase, Bachenberg said, but he approved spending hikes that will eventually require a tax increase to balance the budget. And he criticized Mackenzie for voting for Act 77, the law that made mail-in ballots legal. Bachenberg called it the single-worst piece of legislation in the history of Pennsylvania.
"If you shake the hands of most politicians, you don't even get the chance to turn your back to get stabbed in the back. They just stab you right in the heart," Bachenberg said.
Instead, he threw his support to one of Mackenzie's opponents, Kevin Dellicker, an intelligence officer in the Air National Guard who served as an adviser to former Gov. Tom Ridge. Dellicker was the only congressional candidate at the event.
Dellicker, Mackenzie and Maria Montero, a member of former Gov. Tom Corbett's administration, will face off in the PA-7 Republican primary Tuesday. The winner is expected to take on Democratic incumbent Susan Wild in November in one of the nation's most competitive U.S. House districts.
Republican donor
Similarly, Bachenberg endorsed Slatington Borough Councilman Zachari Halkias, who is running for Pennsylvania's 183rd state House District. He did not mention his Republican primary opponent, incumbent state Rep. Zach Mako. Both Halkias and Mako were in attendance.
The winner of the 183rd House race will face Democratic challenger Joseph Lenzi in November. The district leans heavily Republican, making the winner of the GOP primary a heavy favorite heading into November.
Campaign finance reports show Bachenberg has put his wallet where his mouth is. State reports show Halkias raised a little over $7,900 between March and April. Bachenberg was easily his largest donor, giving him $4,000.
He also donated $3,300 — the federal maximum — to Dellicker, according to federal campaign finance reports.
The endorsements alone may not mean much — Bachenberg is not a household name. However, he's become a growing force in Pennsylvania politics.
He chaired a group of alternate electors who attempted to swing Pennsylvania's Electoral College votes to President Joe Biden following the 2020 election. Both he and Jordan were subpoenaed to testify before the Jan. 6 House Select Committee for their efforts to overturn the election.
Bachenberg also rented the Schnecksville Fire Hall earlier this month for former President Donald Trump's rally. Thousands of people attended to show Trump their support two days before he appeared in court on charges he paid hush money to cover up affairs heading into the 2016 election. Trump has denied wrongdoing.
