Dave McCormick Looks to End Democrat Win Streak in Pennsylvania

If Republicans hope to finally fulfill their dreams of a “red wave” in 2024, particularly when it comes to the U.S. Senate, high on their list of targets is Pennsylvania. While the primary is still more than three months out, so far the leading Republican candidate to challenge incumbent Democrat Senator Bob Casey is Dave McCormick, a successful businessman who hopes his platform of lower taxes and support for manufacturing and coal mining jobs will break Democrats’ winning streak in the Keystone State.

McCormick first made a name for himself in the 2022 Senate contest when he lost the Republican nomination to Dr. Mehmet Oz by less than 1,000 votes. Although that was his first foray into electoral politics, McCormick proved himself a capable fundraiser who was able to run a well-organized campaign.

McCormick’s early life and career appear to have prepared him well for his entrance into the political arena. Born and raised in the Pittsburgh area, McCormick earned admission to West Point after high school, graduating in 1987 with a degree in mechanical engineering.

From there, McCormick went on to Army Ranger school and joined the 82nd Airborne Division. He was part of the first wave of troops into Iraq during the Gulf War. He served five years in the Army before returning to civilian life.

Following his military service, McCormick earned a Ph.D. in international relations from Princeton University before taking a job as a consultant at McKinsey & Co.

McCormick’s first experience in government came in 2005 when President George W. Bush tapped him to serve as the Commerce Department’s Undersecretary for Industry and Security. He later served as Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economic Policy and then as Undersecretary of the Treasury for International Affairs.

After his time in the Bush administration, McCormick joined Bridgewater Associates, the largest hedge fund in the world. By 2017 he had become the firm’s CEO.

Although McCormick was considered for high-profile positions in the Trump administration, including Secretary of the Treasury and Secretary of Defense, he ultimately remained at Bridgewater. He did, however, serve on Trump’s Defense Policy Board Advisory Committee.

After a hotly contested primary in 2022 between McCormick, Oz, and surprise contender Kathy Barnette, early indications suggest that McCormick should cruise to the nomination this time around.

Prior to announcing his bid last September, McCormick had lined up endorsements from Pennsylvania’s entire GOP congressional delegation and secured the support of National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Steve Daines (R-MT), who called McCormick “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.”

But even if he does win the primary, McCormick has a formidable challenge ahead of him in the general election. Casey easily secured his seat back in 2018 with 55 percent of the vote, and the most recent polling in the race, conducted last October, had Casey at 50 percent support and McCormick at 44 percent support.

Additionally, national Democrats are expected to pour money into Pennsylvania this year, and it will likely end up being one of the most expensive Senate races in history. With so many vulnerable seats up for re-election, Democrats will be all the more motivated to hold onto seats like Casey’s where they believe they have an advantage.

But McCormick’s team appears to believe that they have the recipe to take down Casey and hand Republicans their first statewide victory in Pennsylvania since Trump won there in 2016.

In particular, McCormick is aiming to make his campaign a referendum on Biden as much as Casey and tie the two together as much as possible. In his announcement speech, McCormick described the race as one between a “Pennsylvania success story and a rubber stamp career politician.”

“Joe Biden says vote, Bob Casey says which way,” McCormick continued. “Due to the failed leadership of Joe Biden, America is in decline: economically, militarily, spiritually.”

The key for McCormick in this race will be keeping the GOP coalition together in the general election – something that proved difficult for Pennsylvania Republicans following the ugly primary in 2022. Attacks on Oz’s conservative bona fides stemming from his days as host of “The Dr. Oz Show,” most notably his prior support for abortion and child gender transitions, continued to plague him in the general election and likely hampered enthusiasm from conservative voters, although he spoke out strongly against both practices during his campaign.

Although McCormick has faced some criticism of his own for his work in China while with Bridgewater, he has made opposition to the communist country one of the pillars of his 2024 candidacy. His campaign website describes China as “the gravest threat to our security and well-being since the end of World War II,” and calls for six specific bans to “fortify American military and economic strength, thwart China’s aggressive ambitions and protect the homeland.”

With 11 months to go until Election Day, McCormick appears to be building the necessary foundation to defeat Casey. Now, he will have to capitalize on the opportunity.

The Pennsylvania Republican primary will be held on April 23, and the general election will be on November 5.

B.C. Brutus is the pen name of a writer with previous experience in the legislative and executive branches.