US: Did Bob Casey admit defeat?

US: After Republican candidate David McCormick won Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate seat, Democratic Senator Bob Casey has refused to back down.

At 4:09 p.m. ET on Thursday, when McCormick was ahead by over 30,000 votes, the Associated Press declared the election over, stating that while an estimated 91,000 ballots remained, there were not enough in regions that favored the three-term incumbent to close the gap.

With 98 percent of the ballots tabulated, Trump-backed McCormick was ahead by over 34,000 votes by around 3:40 a.m. ET on Friday. Casey got 48.5 percent of the vote, compared to 49 percent for McCormick. Under state law, a recount would be automatically triggered if the election was still within 0.5 percent or less, but candidates may also ask for a recount without having to meet a certain margin.

Casey said in a statement Thursday night that he would not give up the race until all of the votes were tabulated.

In the message posted on social media by ABC producer Bob Siegel, Casey said, “I have dedicated my life to making sure Pennsylvanians’ voices are heard, whether on the Senate floor or in a free and fair election.”

“It has been stated that over 100,000 ballots remain to be tallied. Our democratic process originated in Pennsylvania. To guarantee that every vote that is entitled to be counted gets tallied, we must let that process unfold. Pennsylvania deserves that.

With McCormick’s win, the GOP’s Senate majority—which they took from Democrats last week—increases. Democrats, including those who caucus with the party, presently have 43 Senate seats, while Republicans, who won four seats on Friday, now hold 53 seats.

Shortly after the AP called the race, McCormick said that there was “no mathematical path” for Casey to win in an interview with Fox News.

“Listen, I lost an election by 900 votes… so I know Senator Casey’s got to process this,” he said. “He has 30 years of elected office experience. Since his family has a long history of serving the public, you can be sure he will have to figure out the correct solution. However, I believe that the math is unquestionable, which is why the AP called it and why we are confident in our ability to begin preparing to become Pennsylvania’s next senator.”

According to McCormick, “what made the difference is people want change.”

He stated: “They want change and common-sense leadership because they are deeply distressed by the war on fossil fuels, the wide-open border, the crime in our cities, and the skyrocketing prices. I believe that’s why they elected me and President Trump.” It is an honor for me to do so.

The son of a two-term governor of Pennsylvania, Casey is the state’s longest-serving Democrat in the Senate, having been elected in 2006.

In 2022, McCormick, the former CEO of an investment business, ran for the Senate but lost to Trump-backed Mehmet Oz in the GOP primary. Later, in the main election, John Fetterman defeated Oz by five points.