This race is full of surprises. There’s no telling how it will all shake out.
And now this top Democrat’s campaign is doomed after losing a key endorsement.
Alarms are blaring for Sen. Bob Casey’s re-election campaign in Pennsylvania as the firefighters’ union in deep-blue Philadelphia turns its back on the incumbent Democrat, throwing its support behind GOP Senate candidate Dave McCormick.
The union, International Association of Fire Fighters Local 22, represents more than 4,500 firefighters, paramedics, and EMTs from the city’s industrial Northern Liberties neighborhood.
Historically loyal to Casey in his previous Senate bids, the union’s leaders made a bold move Wednesday, announcing their endorsement of McCormick at a press conference.
“This was not a decision we took lightly,” said Local 22 President Mike Bresnan, highlighting Casey’s noticeable absence from the communities the union serves.
“This election was the first time we ever met Senator Casey in all his years in office.”
McCormick, standing alongside Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), expressed gratitude for the endorsement and promised to stand by first responders if elected.
“Whether it’s our police officers, our firefighters, or our first responders, I will fight to ensure that those who put their lives on the line get the resources they deserve,” McCormick declared.
Drawing on his own military experience, McCormick added, “I feel a kinship — even though I wore a different uniform — to those who are willing to put on the uniform and put their lives at risk,” referencing his service during the Gulf War.
In a sharp critique of Casey’s record, McCormick pointed to the senator’s support for sanctuary cities and open-border policies, which he argued have made the jobs of first responders more difficult.
Philadelphia, a sanctuary city since 2016, has taken in a large share of the estimated 153,000 illegal immigrants living in Pennsylvania.
“What’s Bob Casey done? He’s supported policies that have made these guys’ jobs a lot tougher,” McCormick charged.
“He backs liberal prosecutors like Larry Krasner, refuses to stand up for a tough border, and even voted against $800 million in funding for opioid and narcotic detection in the Senate.”
Local 22 Secretary Jack Eltman, who deals daily with the fentanyl crisis in Philly’s Kensington neighborhood, echoed the frustrations.
“With this crisis in Kensington becoming nationally known, even our current senator has not been here or offered help,” Eltman said.
“I’m tired of political promises never kept, and that’s why we are supporting those who kept their promises.”
The Pennsylvania Senate race, now labeled a toss-up by the Cook Political Report, is expected to be one of the most expensive in the country this year.
As of Thursday, more than $274 million had been spent in the state, with over $200 million coming from outside sources, according to OpenSecrets.
McCormick’s endorsement by a key Philly union in a deeply Democratic city signals trouble for Casey as voters and first responders grow weary of empty promises and policies that hurt those on the front lines.
Stay tuned to Prudent Politics.
