McCormick, Casey Head to Recount in Pennsylvania Senate Race
(Bloomberg) -- Unofficial results for the US Senate seat in Pennsylvania have triggered a legally required statewide recount of the race, which the Associated Press last week called for Republican David McCormick, a former hedge fund CEO.
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Commonwealth Secretary Al Schmidt announced the recount late Wednesday as incumbent Democratic Senator Bob Casey declined to concede, arguing that tens of thousands of ballots haven’t been counted, including many from Philadelphia. McCormick’s campaign contended that Casey can’t win.
Pennsylvania law requires a recount if the margin is 0.5% or less. McCormick has won 48.9% of the vote, while Casey has 48.5%. Just over 80,000 provisional and mail-in ballots haven’t yet been counted. The outcome of the recount would affect the size of the GOP’s majority in the next Senate.
McCormick’s lead strategist Mark Harris told reporters on a conference call Thursday that the former head of hedge fund giant Bridgewater Associates is ahead by more than 26,000 votes. The team said there were not enough valid ballots remaining to change the outcome.
“It’s very clear there is no path for Senator Casey,” Harris said.
But Casey’s team dismissed his rival’s projections.
“While McCormick and his allies are working to disenfranchise voters in Pennsylvania and spread misinformation, we are working to ensure that Pennsylvanians’ voices are heard,” Casey’s campaign manager Tiernan Donohue said in a statement.
The state’s 67 counties must begin the recount by Nov. 20 and submit results by Nov. 27.
McCormick was in Washington on Wednesday for the freshmen senators orientation. His spokeswoman Elizabeth Gregory said a recount “will be a waste of time and taxpayer money.”
--With assistance from Mike Dorning.
(Updates with fresh comments from McCormick and Casey campaigns from fourth paragraph)
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