**David McCormick Wins Pennsylvania Senate Race as Bob Casey Concedes**

Pennsylvania has a new senator, as Democratic Sen. Bob Casey conceded his re-election bid to Republican challenger David McCormick on Thursday. The decision comes after a protracted recount process and judicial setbacks for Casey’s campaign failed to close the vote gap.

The contest, which took place on November 5th, was drawn out over more than two weeks, becoming a focal point for heightened partisan tensions. Accusations flew from both sides, with Republicans alleging that Democrats were attempting to secure Casey's seat through illegal votes, while Casey's camp insisted the GOP wanted to block legitimate votes to retain the lead.

Casey, Pennsylvania's longest-serving Democrat in the Senate, formally conceded with a call to congratulate McCormick. In his statement, he emphasized the exhaustive nature of the ballot-counting process, assuring Pennsylvanians that their votes were duly considered.

Election results were officially called by the Associated Press on November 7th, when they determined that the remaining ballots in Casey-favored areas were insufficient for him to surpass McCormick. As of the final tally, McCormick led by approximately 16,000 votes out of nearly 7 million cast—a margin within the 0.5% threshold that triggers an automatic statewide recount under Pennsylvania law.

Although a recount was expected to alter only a marginal number of votes, Casey’s campaign faced additional challenges. The state's highest court refused to permit the counting of mail-in ballots lacking a correct handwritten date on the return envelope, a decision that significantly impacted the campaign’s standing.

Despite securing approval to count thousands of provisional ballots affected by election worker errors, Casey's team was unable to gain traction on other fronts, such as including ballots disqualified for more common mistakes like improper signatures.

McCormick, aged 59 and a former CEO of the world’s largest hedge fund, has reclaimed a GOP seat in Pennsylvania. Buoyed by substantial financial support from hedge fund and securities trading allies, McCormick’s campaign became the second-most expensive in the nation this cycle. His victory marks a strategic gain for Republicans, who lost a Senate seat in Pennsylvania in 2022.