HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania and Republican challenger David McCormick met Thursday for their first debate in the crucial race for a swing state seat, with each candidate repeatedly accusing the other of cheating lying and asking questions about energy, the sale of US steel and tariffs in personal attacks.
The outcome of the race, one of the most costly in the country, could aid determine which party controls the closely divided Senate.
During the combative late-night debate, Casey tried to make the point that McCormick was a wealthy, eccentric hedge fund CEO, while McCormick portrayed Casey as a faint, idle career politician.
Casey criticized investments McCormick’s hedge fund made in Chinese companies, including those the federal government considered part of Beijing’s military and surveillance industrial intricate. McCormick described Casey as willing to vote with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris 99% of the time.
One of the most heated exchanges of the 60 Minutes debate came after Casey and McCormick agreed that they both opposed the sale of US Steel to Japan’s Nippon Steel.
McCormick blamed Casey for the legendary Pittsburgh-based steelmaker’s cancellation of a $1.5 billion project to modernize its Mon Valley Works operations after failing to secure environmental permits from Allegheny County.
“This is the type of leadership failure that is leading Pennsylvania in the wrong direction,” McCormick said.
“He was in Connecticut when this happened, let’s be clear,” Casey shot back, referring to McCormick’s time living in the northeastern state as a hedge fund manager for 12 years. “So he doesn’t have the right to talk about what should have been done in Pennsylvania.”
McCormick pressed his case, saying, “We lost these jobs because of you.”…You’re a faint senator, you’re a liberal senator, you’re a career politician who wants to have it both ways.”
Casey was quick to point out that McCormick was not forceful or independent enough to defy former President Donald Trump and support a sweeping immigration reform bill that would allocate hundreds of millions of dollars to hire more customs officials and step up investigations into fentanyl trafficking .
“Why don’t you show some strength and support the border bill,” Casey told McCormick, referring to Republican opposition that scuttled it after Trump said related immigration measures weren’t tough enough.
On other issues, candidates agreed that tariffs were needed to protect certain industries such as steel and aluminum, but disagreed on the Senate filibuster.
Casey supported eliminating the filibuster, saying it prevents votes on things like women’s, voter and union rights, legislation he said McCormick would oppose. Senators should vote on “big issues” and fulfill the wishes and aspirations of those who voted for us, he said.
McCormick responded that the filibuster protects moderation.
“We shouldn’t have extremes on either side,” McCormick said.
McCormick also said he supported Trump’s promise to carry out a mass deportation of immigrants in the country without permission – giving priority to people with criminal records – and insisted he would protect Social Security and Medicare while supporting the expansion of tax cuts passed under Trump.
Casey accused McCormick of wanting to extend those cuts to give a break to the same billionaires who are donating to the campaign.
Casey, 64, perhaps Pennsylvania’s best-known politician, is seeking a fourth term and faces his toughest re-election challenge yet. He is a staunch union ally, a former state comptroller and treasurer, and Pennsylvania’s longest-serving Senate Democrat. He has advocated for preserving the middle class, abortion rights, labor rights and voting rights, all of which he believes McCormick and Donald Trump are a major threat to.
McCormick, 59, is running for the Senate for the second time after a narrow defeat in the 2022 Republican primary. Mehmet Oz had lost. He is a former hedge fund CEO who served at the highest levels of former President George W. Bush’s administration and sat on Trump’s defense advisory board.
The candidates have agreed to another debate to be held on October 15 at a Philadelphia television station.
Both Casey and McCormick were uncontested for their party’s nominations in the primaries.
Also on the Senate ballot on November 5 are John Thomas of the Libertarian Party, Leila Hazou of the Green Party and Marty Selker of the Constitution Party. They were not invited to the debate.
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Follow Marc Levy at twitter.com/timelywriter.
