Voter guide to Pennsylvania's U.S. Senate election: Casey, McCormick, third-party candidates

What's at stake: The polls are tight, and control of the U.S. Senate could come down to this race. Democrat Bob Casey is defending a seat he has held for three terms, while Republican Dave McCormick is taking another shot at the Senate after losing in the 2022 Republican primary. More than $300 million in ad spending has already been scheduled, much of it in the form of attack spots. The race is being fought along a number of national issues including inflation, immigration, abortion and foreign affairs. Both major-party candidates have hewed relatively closely to their national party positions, with some notable exceptions: Casey has opposed President Joe Biden's actions limiting natural gas, while McCormick supports providing aid to Ukraine. Protest votes for third-party candidates could potentially play a role in a race this close.

Further reading: " Casey, McCormick hammer home attacks in debate for Pennsylvania's battleground Senate race " (Mark Levy, AP) " Casey and McCormick battle over fentanyl and fact-checking in Pennsylvania's U.S. Senate race " (Chris Potter, WESA) " Where U.S. Senate candidates Bob Casey and Dave McCormick stand on abortion, child care, and more " (Sarah Boden, Spotlight PA) " What Kamala Harris Could Learn From Bob Casey About Winning in Pennsylvania " (Chris Smith, Vanity Fair)

Bob Casey

Casey first won his U.S. Senate seat in 2006; before that, he served as the state treasurer and auditor general. (His father served as Pennsylvania's governor in the late '80s and early '90s.) Casey says his voting record shows commitment to such issues as affordable health care, women's rights and union jobs. Casey once called himself a pro-life Democrat, but in recent years, he has supported abortion rights and has attacked McCormick for not supporting Roe v Wade. McCormick has denounced him as a rubber-stamp for the Biden administration, and has attacked Casey and White House on border issues in particular. But Casey supported a bipartisan immigration deal that was scuttled by former President Donald Trump this summer.

: Democratic Place of residence: Education: B.A., College of the Holy Cross; J.D., Catholic University of America Current occupation: U.S. Senator Relevant experience: U.S. Senator (2007–present); Pennsylvania Treasurer (2005–2007); Pennsylvania Auditor General (1997–2005) Supporters/endorsements: Pennsylvania AFL-CIO; Pennsylvania State Education Association; Philadelphia Building Trades; Pittsburgh Regional Building Trades Council; United Steelworkers; Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals (PASNAP); League of Conservation Voters; American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Links: Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube Total fundraising (reported as of 10/1/24): $25,092,746.81 : $19,748,560.41 Further reading: " In Pennsylvania's Senate race, Casey puts 'greedflation' and corporations on the ballot " (Mark Levy, Associated Press) " Spot Check: Dark-money ad blames Casey for inflation, but causes go beyond Senate, economists say " (Charlie Wolfson, PublicSource) " The fight for abortion rights gets an unlikely messenger in Pennsylvania: Sen. Bob Casey " (Mark Levy, AP)

WESA Candidate Survey

Corporate greed is driving up costs for Pennsylvania families, from the gas pump to the grocery store. I'm fighting to lower costs for Pennsylvania families by holding big corporations accountable for increasing the price of food and household items while raking in record profits. I've introduced two bills that would crack down on corporate price gouging and to go after companies that gouge consumers and deceptively shrink their products. I'll vote to make corporations pay their fair share to give the middle class a tax cut, and give families an expanded Child Tax Credit.

We must secure our border and ensure border patrol agents have the resources they need to do their jobs. That's why I strongly supported the toughest border bill in modern history. It's also why I've voted over 25 times to secure our southern border, voting for more border patrol agents, fencing, and screening technology for fentanyl. I will continue to work across the aisle to ensure that this is a priority in the Senate. I'm also working with law enforcement to address cross-border fentanyl tracking, and I have voted repeatedly for greater investment in technology to detect fentanyl in vehicles at points of entry. I will continue to support reforms that treat people with dignity, secures our border, and protects the safety of our communities.

I believe that our daughters shouldn't have fewer rights than their mothers or grandmothers, and it was a mistake to overturn Roe v. Wade and 49 years of legal precedent. I oppose Republican efforts to ban abortion, which is why I voted for the Women's Health Protection Act in 2022, which would restore abortion rights as they existed before Roe. I also voted to protect IVF and have consistently supported efforts to expand women's access to family planning care and contraception.

I believe in a national security strategy that protects our interests, promotes human rights, and supports those who serve our country. I've been a steadfast supporter of Ukraine and Israel's defense and security in my time in the Senate. Since Russia's invasion, I helped secure billions in military and economic aid for Ukraine and have pushed leaders of both parties to pass additional aid to support the country's efforts in stopping Russia's aggression. In the wake of the October 7 attacks, I have been clear that we must bring the hostages home, support our ally in Israel, and ensure that food and medical supplies can get to civilians in Gaza.

I work to listen to a diverse group of voices from across the Commonwealth to inform my views on policy, including on potential nominees. Any potential Supreme Court justice must have integrity and judicial temperament, as well as uphold the basic ideas that everyone in this country regardless of their background or status deserves a fair opportunity at justice and that no one is above the law. We also need to ensure the Supreme Court is governed by an enforceable code of ethics just like every other court in the country.

Leila Hazou

Hazou is running as a Palestinian-American who wants to provide an option for voters who don't agree with the major parties' support of Israel during the war in Gaza with Hamas. She says she would try to sanction and place an arms embargo on Israel. She left the Democratic Party in 2023 because the Green Party was the only party representing her views on the war; she also opposes fracking and supports green energy. She differs from Dave McCormick on most issues, she says, and parts ways with Bob Casey on the war. She wants to ban the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and corporate lobbying.

: Green Place of residence: Pike County Education: B.A., University of Colorado at Colorado Springs; MBA, Loyola College. Current occupation: Small business owner of soap and candle shop Relevant experience: Longtime project manager for a New York investment bank Links: Website | Facebook | Instagram Total fundraising (reported as of 10/1/24): None reported

Further reading: " On the Issues: Leila Hazou, Green Party for U.S. Senate " (Larry Kaspar, PCNTV)

WESA Candidate Survey

David McCormick

After attending the United States Military Academy and serving in the U.S. Army, McCormick has moved between the business and political worlds. During the George W. Bush presidential administration, he served as the Under Secretary of the Treasury and Deputy National Security Advisor; he later became the CEO of Bridgewater Associates, the world's largest hedge fund. He has attacked the Biden administration for its handling of the withdrawal from Afghanistan, and he supports building the military back to Cold War levels. He's also attacked Biden's climate policies and wants to accelerate local production of natural gas, as well as renew Trump's 2017 tax cuts. Long a resident of Connecticut, McCormick has been criticized as a carpetbagger, though he has highlighted his family's deep ties to Pennsylvania.

: Republican Place of residence:Education: B.S., United States Military Academy West Point; Ph.D. in international relations, Princeton University Current occupation: Senate candidate Relevant experience: CEO of Bridgewater Associates; CEO of FreeMarkets; Undersecretary of Treasury and Deputy National Security Advisor under former President George W. Bush; CEO of Bridgewater Associates. Supporters/endorsements: Former President Donald Trump; Pennsylvania Fraternal Order of Police and Pennsylvania State Troopers Association; LifePAC; Firearms Owners Against Crime Links: Website | Facebook | X | Instagram | Youtube Total fundraising (reported as of 10/1/24): $17,492,052.95 : $9,475,655.13

Further reading: " David McCormick's hedge fund days are a double-edged sword in Senate race " (Mark Levy, Associated Press) " Pa. GOP Senate candidate McCormick endorses increasing military spending to Cold War era levels " (Oliver Morrison, WESA) " Senate candidate McCormick says less red tape, more gas, are key to Pa.'s economic future " (Oliver Morrison, WESA) " Republican David McCormick launches U.S. Senate campaign in Pittsburgh " (Chris Potter, WESA) " David McCormick is gearing up for a Senate run in Pennsylvania. But he lives in Connecticut " (Brian Slodysko, AP)

WESA Candidate Survey

Bernard Selker

Selker says he joined the Constitution Party in 2020 because of its rejection of outside PAC money; he believes in a strict, literal interpretation of the U.S. Constitution. According to his website, he advocates for a strong military but favors diplomacy; he also wants strong enforcement of immigration laws. One issue where he stands out from both parties: He blames the Federal Reserve for causing inflation. In his social media feeds, he criticizes both Democrats and Republicans for increasing federal control, raising taxes and increasing the size of government.

Party: Place of residence: Millcreek Township Current occupation: Truck driver for fracking companies Relevant experience: Leader of Clarion County Constitution Party; Clarion-Limestone school board member Links: Facebook | X Total fundraising (reported as of 10/1/24): $10,983.33 : $9,290.71 Further reading: " Constitution Party plans to build from the ground up in Clarion County " (Ron Wilshire, The Leader-Vindicator)

WESA Candidate Survey

John Thomas

Thomas is running "as an educational endeavor" to teach voters about libertarianism and says he is not expecting to win. He believes in non-aggression as a founding principle and thinks that means the government should not be able to "take your stuff," including tax you against your will. He doesn't like common descriptions of the party as fiscally conservative and socially liberal: He describes himself as a socially conservative church-going married man. Thomas thinks libertarians can be both right-leaning and left-leaning, even if he falls into the former camp. He calls Ayn Rand and Ron Paul the party's ideological guiding lights.

: Libertarian Place of residence: Kittanning, Armstrong County : B.A. in political science/pre-law and B.S. in education, Indiana University of Pennsylvania Current occupation: Educator Relevant experience: He has 20 years of experience in education, including the last 16 in a cyber charter school he says draws students from across the state from Philadelphia to remote rural counties; worked for a political polling firm while substitute teaching early on in his teaching career. Supporters/endorsements: Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania; Bill Cox, Pennsylvania state coordinator for the Robert Kennedy Jr. presidential campaign Links: Website | X | Instagram | Substack Total fundraising (reported as of 10/1/24): None reported

Further reading: " On the Issues: John Thomas, Libertarian for U.S. Senate " (Larry Kaspar, PCNTV)

WESA Candidate Survey

The best thing the Federal Government can do for Pennsylvania is to get out of the way. Pennsylvanians are productive people. From Benjamin Franklin's invention of the lightning rod to Jonas Salk's invention of the polio vaccine, Pennsylvania has been a center for innovation. Unfortunately, taxation and money printing sucks resources out of Pennsylvania and sends them to Washington. Instead of inventing lifesaving technology, our resources are spent on war technology. Washington is also obsessed with regulation, which hinders our innovative spirit. Get Washington out of our way, and Pennsylvania will be peaceful and prosperous again!

America is a nation of immigrants. My great-great-great grandfather immigrated to Pennsylvania in the early 1800s. His descendants became doctors, lawyers, pharmacists, truck drivers, teachers, factory workers, and much more. His immigration made America better. However, when he immigrated, America lacked a social safety net. He either produced or starved. It sounds harsh, but that system ensured that only the most productive people immigrated. Immigration today is distorted by a social safety net. Removing the social safety net and doing simple background checks on immigrants will ensure we are again inviting the best and brightest from around the world.

I would oppose any national legislation on abortion. I am pro-life. I believe that abortion murders a baby. And murder laws are handled by states. Therefore, abortion ought to be handled by states. Some of my pro-life friends want a federal ban, but I warn them that nationalizing the issue is just as likely to result in national promotion of abortion as it is to result in a ban on abortion. Some states have adopted policies that are saving babies' lives. If we nationalize the issue, those states will likely be forbidden from doing so.

I don't support the federal government providing aid to either of those countries. I support providing universal tax cuts to Americans, and if we want to use our own money to support Israel, Ukraine, Palestinians, or anyone else, we can. I believe that Jesus calls Christians like me to help those in need. But He didn't say to use taxes to force others to help. We should choose, individually, who and how we help. I would choose to keep my money local, helping those in need in my own community.

I would only approve nominees who believe that the Constitution means what it says. The Constitution should never be changed or altered by Supreme Court decisions. It should only change based on the Amendment process laid out in the Constitution itself.