BETHLEHEM TWP., Pa. — A trio of U.S. senators joined Senate hopeful Dave McCormick on the campaign trail Saturday morning to urge local veterans not to wait until Election Day to vote.
U.S. Sens. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa; Roger Marshall, R-Kan.; and Todd Young, R-Ind. held up McCormick as the type of leader needed in Washington during a veterans rally at Flexicon Corp. on Emrick Boulevard. The four — who all served in the military — sat on wooden stools before a giant American flag, surrounded by about 150 people on the factory floor.
It's become a trope for politicians to say every election is the most important of their lifetimes...[McCormick said, but he challenged voters to]... think of a time when America seemed so weak.Dave McCormick
McCormick, a Republican who advised President George W. Bush on national security and international trade, reiterated points he made during past trips to the Lehigh Valley. It's become a trope for politicians to say every election is the most important of their lifetimes, McCormick said, but he challenged voters to think of a time when America seemed so weak.
Sanctuary cities and other points
He blamed Democratic incumbent Sen. Bob Casey for contributing to that malaise over his 18 years in office. Casey, he said, has problems like border security, and the outbreak of wars abroad came on his watch. He repeated a common campaign insult, calling his opponent "Punxsutawney Bob," claiming he only sticks his head out every four years for an election.
"He's voted for sanctuary cities. He's voted for reckless spending. He's voted for biological men competing in women's sports. Does that sound like Pennsylvania to you?" McCormick asked.
"No!" the room answered.
Ernst, a 10-year veteran of the Senate, said she could not recall being approached by Casey over legislation or what committees he serves on. Pennsylvania deserves a leader who will stand up for their constituents and work with their colleagues to find solutions, she said.
"Do you want to elect a leader to the United State Senate, or do you want more of the same?" she asked the room.
Democrat John Fetterman's campaign knew it had won the 2022 U.S. Senate race in Pennsylvania before Election Day, Ernst told the crowd. More than 1 million Democratic supporters had cast mail-in ballots for Fetterman before the polls opened while Republican Mehmet Oz had just 250,000 on hand.
"If you can get out there and early vote, do it," Ernst said. "Because then, on Election Day, all of the folks wearing Dave McCormick jackets, folks from the RNC, they are going to chase the low-propensity voters to get them to the polls. But if they have to stop to go knock on your door, they're wasting time, and we're wasting resources."
In Pennsylvania, the only form of early voting is to request a mail-in ballot. The last day to request a mail-in ballot is Tuesday. Ballots must be received by the correct county elections office before 8 p.m. Nov. 5 or they will not be counted.
Once a mail-in ballot application is received, it can take days for it to be mailed to the voter and then days more for it to be returned. Voters may be best served by requesting a mail-in ballot in person at their county election office, filling it out and turning it in during the same trip.
The race for Pennsylvania's U.S. Senate seat is among the most consequential campaigns on the ballot this year. The U.S. Senate is narrowly divided between Republicans and Democrats, and Pennsylvania's swing state status means it could decide which party controls the legislative agenda.
"Pennsylvanians deserve a leader that will fight to give them a voice, not someone who would silence and intimidate them from sharing their truth."Spokesperson TaNisha Cameron
Most federal races are marked by negativity, and the Casey-McCormick race has been no different. While McCormick has painted Casey as a spineless backbencher, Casey has portrayed his opponent as a hypocrite carpetbagger. As the former CEO of Bridgewater Associates, he invested heavily in China, which he now identifies as a major threat to American power.
In a statement released after the rally, a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Democratic Party took aim at McCormick's time at Bridgewater, the world's largest hedge fund. The party accused him of overseeing a toxic culture where women were pressured not to report sexual misconduct; the allegations stem from the 2023 book, "The Fund."
"Pennsylvanians deserve a leader that will fight to give them a voice, not someone who would silence and intimidate them from sharing their truth," spokesperson TaNisha Cameron said in a statement.
Recent polls suggest the race has narrowed over the last month. Poll aggregator FiveThirtyEight.com found that Casey was leading by an average of 8.6 points in mid-August. The site now says Casey is leading by about 3.6 points — within most polls' margin of error.
Keeping the energy going
Northampton County Republican Chairman Glenn Geissinger expressed optimism for the GOP ticket. Polls show the major races on the ballot — president, U.S. Senate and U.S. representative — are close and getting closer.
"I feel like we're at 2016-plus — we have that kind of energy coming out," Geissinger said.
After the rally, McCormick said he'll be spending the last week and a half in the race rallying voters around Allegheny County, southeastern Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley.
"I'm going to leave it all on the mat and give it everything we got. It feels like we've got momentum," McCormick said.
With just days before the election, McCormick's was not the only campaign meeting with voters in the region.
Gov. Josh Shapiro was knocking on doors in Lower Macungie Township on behalf of U.S. Rep. Susan Wild, D-Lehigh Valley, and Stefanie Rafes, the Democratic candidate for the 187th House District based in western Lehigh County.
