With the primary election just barely in the rearview mirror, the candidates for Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate wasted no time in thinking ahead to November.
Incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Casey announced Thursday he wants to participate in three debates this fall.
Casey, of Scranton, proposed holding debates in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and Harrisburg before the November general election.
“In keeping with Pennsylvania’s proud history of political debates, Senator Casey is ready to make his case for re-election and looks forward to engaging his opponent on the issues that matter to the Commonwealth,” his campaign said Thursday.
His Republican challenger, former hedge fund CEO Dave McCormick, accepted the debate proposals on social media.
“Glad to hear it. See you there,” McCormick, of Pittsburgh, wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
Details about time, dates, locations and the possibility of being televised, have yet to be released.
Pennsylvania’s Senate race will likely be one of the most watched in the nation. Republicans are hoping they can flip the seat to help their chances at regaining the upper chamber come next year.
Democrats almost certainly need to hold the seat in order to maintain their slim majority.
The race has already attracted millions of dollars in campaign donations. Spending in Pennsylvania on campaign ads is expected to be among the most in the country.
Polling give Casey, a three-term incumbent, an early lead over McCormick. A Franklin & Marshall College poll from late March had Casey up 46% to McCormick’s 39% with a margin of error of 4%.
Ryan Deto is a TribLive reporter covering politics, Pittsburgh and Allegheny County news. A native of California’s Bay Area, he joined the Trib in 2022 after spending more than six years covering Pittsburgh at the Pittsburgh City Paper, including serving as managing editor. He can be reached at rdeto@triblive.com.