David McCormick, who narrowly lost the Republican nomination for one of the two U.S. Senate seats in Pennsylvania last year, is launching a new bid for its other seat.
The businessman, former Department of Treasury and Commerce official, and Army veteran announced his intention to challenge Democrat Sen. Bob Casey Jr. at Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh on Thursday.
"Due to the failed leadership of [President] Joe Biden, America is in decline: economically, militarily, spiritually," McCormick told the crowd. "I'm here to tell you tonight that we can change that — with your support, a brighter future lies ahead."
Sen. Steve Daines of Montana, chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, applauded McCormick, a high-profile candidate with the ability to self-finance, for jumping in.
"A graduate of West Point, combat veteran, and Pennsylvania job creator, Dave is exactly the type of candidate who can win both a primary and a general election in one of the most competitive states in the country," Daines said.
"It's great news that Dave is stepping up to serve our country once again," he added.
McCormick told Fox News in an interview published shortly after his announcement that his decision was motivated by a litany of reasons, including the border crisis, inflation, and the "war on our domestic energy sector."
He also accused Casey, the son of a popular former Pennsylvania governor, of not accomplishing "very much at all" in his 18 years in the Senate and 30 years in politics.
"He's been a rubber stamp for Joe Biden. He's voted for Joe Biden 98% of the time," McCormick said. "If I can win this seat, I can really be a force for good in pushing back on Joe Biden's policies."
McCormick previously ran for retiring Republican Sen. Pat Toomey's seat in 2022, losing in a nail-biter primary to television personality and cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Mehmet Oz.
Oz would go on to lose the general election to then-Democrat Lt. Gov. John Fetterman by nearly five percentage points, 51.2% to 46.3%.
Pennsylvania serves as a critical Senate seat for Republicans' plans in 2024 to retake the Senate. Currently, the party is two seats from a majority and one from a split chamber.
Luca Cacciatore ✉
Luca Cacciatore, a Newsmax general assignment writer, is based in Arlington, Virginia, reporting on news and politics.
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