McCormick eyes ‘ruby red’ county to put him over the top in tight PA Senate battle

Longtime Democratic Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey and Republican challenger Dave McCormick are inactive wading done their predetermination results, with McCormick's run saying that adjacent though the contention is tight, the Republican volition prevail. 

"McCormick is up 30,679 votes with much to come, arsenic ruby reddish Cambria County is inactive outstanding. While votes proceed to beryllium counted, immoderate mode you portion it, Dave McCormick volition beryllium the adjacent United States Senator from Pennsylvania," Elizabeth Gregory, McCormick's communications director, said successful a remark Thursday provided to Fox News Digital. 

More than 98% of the votes person been tabulated successful the high-stakes Senate race, with McCormick showing a flimsy pb implicit Casey, astatine 48.94% to Casey's 48.49% support, Fox News's contention results show. The results are excessively adjacent to marque an authoritative call, and they volition apt look a recount. As of Thursday afternoon, 31,503 quality successful McCormick's favor. 

Cambria County, which is location to the metropolis of Johnstown, is a reliably reddish jurisdiction that was granted a two-hour hold of polling hours connected Tuesday aft a "software malfunction" temporarily delayed the scanning of ballots successful the precinct. The region has voted for Republican statesmanlike candidates each rhythm since Mitt Romney's 2012 run. 

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Former President and Republican statesmanlike campaigner Donald Trump (L) listens arsenic David McCormick, campaigner for United States Senator, speaks during a run rally successful Reading, Pennsylvania, connected November 4, 2024.  (Ed Jones/AFP via Getty Images)

Pennsylvania has 3 recount options: statewide automatic recounts ordered by the secretary of the commonwealth; recounts ordered by a region predetermination board; and recounts that are ordered by the court. 

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Former President Barack Obama (C) joins Senator Bob Casey (D- PA) (L) and Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf (R) astatine a run rally for Pennsylvania Democrats connected September 21, 2018, successful Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  (Getty Images/Mark Makela)

An automatic recount would hap successful this lawsuit if a candidate's borderline of triumph is nary much than 0.5% of full votes cast. A recount submission indispensable beryllium submitted to the Pennsylvania Secretary of State's bureau nary aboriginal than 5 p.m. connected the 2nd Thursday aft Election Day. 

The Casey run touted earlier Thursday that they, too, are assured that the legislator volition extremity the run with different re-election win. 

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Journalist Chuck Todd speaks with PA GOP Senate Candidate Dave McCormick aft touring the Lackawanna Petroleum And Gas College connected May 10, 2022, successful Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania. (Getty Images)

"The number successful Pennsylvania is inactive continuing," Casey for Senate spokesperson Maddy McDaniel said earlier connected Thursday. "Yesterday, the ballot borderline shrunk by 50,000 votes and this contention is present wrong fractional a point, the threshold for automatic recounts successful Pennsylvania. With tens of thousands much votes to beryllium counted, we are committed to ensuring each Pennsylvanian's ballot is heard and assured that astatine the extremity of that process, Senator Casey volition beryllium re-elected."

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Casey has served successful the Senate since the 2006 cycle. He faced his astir uphill predetermination conflict this twelvemonth against McCormick, an Army combat veteran and erstwhile CEO of hedge money Bridgewater Associates.