L: Dave McCormick R: Pa. Sen. Bob Casey (Jeff Swensen; Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Sen. Bob Casey (D., Pa.) conceded to Republican challenger Dave McCormick, cementing an election result that the Associated Press called three weeks ago but Casey refused to acknowledge.
"I just called Dave McCormick to congratulate him on his election to represent Pennsylvania in the United States Senate," Casey said in a Thursday evening statement. "As the first count of ballots is completed, Pennsylvanians can move forward with the knowledge that their voices were heard, whether their vote was the first to be counted or the last."
The concession comes days into a pricey recount that Casey could have waived. He gained just four votes from the first wave of recounts, which were completed on Wednesday. By Thursday afternoon, McCormick had gained seven votes, according to his campaign. The Republican led Casey by roughly 17,000 votes when the recount began.
Casey's loss could mark the end of a nearly 30-year political career. The son of a Pennsylvania governor, Casey first served as the state's auditor general in 1997 before becoming treasurer in 2005 and senator in 2007. He twice secured reelection to the upper chamber.
As Casey eyed a recount, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) excluded McCormick from an orientation session for incoming senators. Schumer reversed course on Nov. 12, though Casey did not concede for more than a week, instead enlisting the help of the Democratic Party's go-to hired gun for ballot issues, Marc Elias.
The ballot counting process turned controversial last week, when a Bucks County commissioner openly defied Pennsylvania law to count mail-in ballots that lacked signatures. Casey endorsed that election official, Diane Ellis-Marseglia, who in turn donated to Casey's campaign, the Washington Free Beacon reported.
McCormick thanked Casey in a statement.
"Senator Bob Casey has dedicated his career to bettering our commonwealth," he said. "Dina and I want to extend our sincere gratitude to Senator Casey, Terese, and their family for their decades of service, hard work, and personal sacrifice."
"I am so honored to represent every single citizen in Pennsylvania in the United States Senate and will fight for you every day."
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