HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) - Nearly one month from the 2024 election, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D) and Republican challenger Dave McCormick met in Harrisburg for their first debate in Pennsylvania's U.S. Senate race.
The candidates battled throughout the debate, often claiming the other was lying on the campaign trail and on the debate stage.
"He lied about being a farmer. He's not a farmer, he's a hedge fund CEO, or at least he was," Casey said of McCormick. "By the way, he's still benefitting from that hedge fund."
In turn, McCormick said he launched a website he says will fact-check Casey.
"I've spent the majority of my life in Pennsylvania. I did run a firm in Connecticut. When I said I was living in Pennsylvania, I was. Senator Casey is once again lying," McCormick said. "People need to know that Senator Casey is lying, and why is he lying? Because he doesn't have a track record as a United States Senator to run on."
“He’s thrown some whoppers, there are a lot of Pinocchio's here,” McCormick added.
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The debate hit on issues such as abortion, energy, social media, and the economy.
McCormick said he would be in favor of extending the Trump-era tax cuts, while Casey said if a Pennsylvania company was allegedly taking part in “shrinkflation” they should be investigated.
On the issue of abortion, McCormick said he did not favor a national abortion ban and that he believed in three exceptions in cases of rape, incest, and the life of the mother.
Casey, who long campaigned as a “pro-life Democrat” said following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, he had to make a decision and voted to support abortion rights. When asked if there should be any restrictions on abortion, Casey said he supported Roe v. Wade.
The two also battled on the issue of immigration and the southern border.
"I've gone to the border. I don't think you need to be a genius to know that if you have 25,000 convicted murderers and rapists coming across the border, that's a problem. That is the weak, liberal career politican Bob Casey who has been behind that. This is about accountability," McCormick said.
"Leadership would be a Republican candidate for United States Senate talking a lot about border security would be taking on the leadership of your own party and supporting the [border security bill,]" Casey said.
One area the two agreed on was intervening in the sale of Pennsylvania-based U.S. Steel to a Japanese company.
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Both candidates were largely unopposed in the spring primary, setting up a race that could swing the balance of power in the U.S. Senate.
The son of former Pennsylvania governor Bob Casey Sr., Senator Casey won his last re-election bid against Lou Barletta by 13 points in 2018 and is the longest-serving Democratic U.S. Senator in Pennsylvania history. Prior to serving in the U.S. Senate, Casey practiced law in Scranton and went on to serve as Pennsylvania's Auditor General and Treasurer.
McCormick is a West Point graduate who served in the Middle East during the First Gulf War before returning to Pennsylvania to begin his business career. McCormick became the CEO of FreeMarkets and went on to serve as Under Secretary of Treasury, Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security, and Deputy National Security Advisor to President George W. Bush.
In 2009, McCormick was named president of Bridgewater Associates, the world's largest hedge fund, and became CEO of the Connecticut-based firm in 2020. He resigned in 2022 and ran in the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate in 2022, losing to television personality Mehmet Oz by less than 1,000 votes after Oz was endorsed by former President Donald Trump.
Both candidates have focused much of their campaigns on the economy, the top issue for Pennsylvania voters in the most recent Emerson College poll.
On the campaign trail and in the Senate, Casey has highlighted the issues of corporations allegedly targeting consumers through greedflation by raising prices despite having record profits. He's also accused companies, particularly food manufacturers, of shrinking their packages or products but charging the same price as the original size.
McCormick has blamed Casey and Democratic lawmakers for recent inflation and has pledged to "rein in government spending, oppose tax increases, and exercise fiscal responsibility to lessen the burden on the people of the commonwealth."
Other key issues in the race have been abortion, immigration, and the presidential election.
The October 3 U.S. Senate debate was hosted live in the abc27 studio with Dennis Owens moderating.
The debate aired in the following television markets serving the commonwealth: WHTM-TV (ABC) in Harrisburg/Lancaster, Lebanon, York, WPHL-TV (CW) in Philadelphia, WTAJ-TV (CBS) in Johnstown/Altoona/State College, WBRE-TV (NBC) in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre/Hazleton, WFXP-TV (FOX) in Erie, and WYTV-TV (ABC) in Youngstown, OH.
Nexstar's cable news network, NewsNation, also carried a simulcast of the debate nationwide.
The debate was also carried in Pittsburgh on KDKA+ and streamed on MyTwinTiers.com in Elmira, N.Y., WIVB.com in Buffalo, N.Y., and PIX11.com in New York City.
Additionally, all radio stations throughout the commonwealth were provided free access regardless of their market.
