Sen. Bob Casey, currently a two-term senior senator, is days away from Election Day in a race that is considered a “toss-up” by the Cook Political Report.
Casey is facing a strong challenge from Republican challenger David McCormick, who is trailing the incumbent by only one or two points in recent polls.
Casey has now caught the attention of The Hill, the news website, after his campaign published a political ad in which he described himself as an “independent” who had “bucked” the Biden administration over fracking.
In campaign ads incumbent politicians often describe themselves as an independent-minded voice, hoping that separates them from Washington and its dishonesty, but Casey’s ad also embraced Trump’s import-taxing tariff policy, which is controversial even among Republicans.
Diane Gramley, president of the American Family Association of Pennsylvania, says Casey’s political ad is a lie – and a desperate one – that voters won’t fall for.
“Senator Casey did not support President Trump, and Senator Casey did not vote for things that President Trump wanted,” she says. “He supports the Biden-Harris agenda, whether it's abortion or whether it's LGBTQ issues. He supports those issues and he does not support President Trump in any way, shape or manner."
A political analyst told The Hill that Casey is trying to woo working-class Pennsylvanians with a Trump-like populist message that makes McCormick, a wealthy businessman, look out of touch.
Gramley says Casey is obviously concerned about polling that shows McCormick close behind him or even pulling ahead. She also predicts the last-minute political gamble won’t work next week.
“I think those GOP senate candidates,” she says, “will win their races on the coattails of President Donald J. Trump."
