(WHTM) – Less than two years after John Fetterman defeated Mehmet Oz in the 2022 Pennsylvania U.S. Senate race, Pennsylvania voters will once again decide who will represent them in the 2024 Pennsylvania U.S. Senate race.
Official and prospective candidates have begun to emerge early in the race with the primary election set for May and the general election in November.
The 2024 Pennsylvania U.S. Senate race will also coincide with the 2024 Presidential Election, which means a large turnout that could decide the balance of power in the Senate.
Here are the candidates who have declared their intentions to run for U.S. Senate in 2024.
Democrats
Bob Casey
Incumbent U.S. Senator Bob Casey announced on April 10 that he will seek a fourth term. The son of former Pennsylvania governor Bob Casey Sr., Senator Casey won his last re-election bid against Lou Barletta by 13 points in 2018 and is the longest-serving Democratic U.S. Senator in Pennsylvania history.
In January Casey announced he was diagnosed with prostate cancer and underwent surgery in February. He returned to the Senate weeks after the surgery with his doctor saying it “went well and that Casey should not need further treatment.
According to his campaign website, Casey is “committed to raising wages and creating and retaining jobs across Pennsylvania.” His campaign touts legislation to prevent and reported sexual assaults on college campuses, reform Megan’s Law, and allow those with disabled family members to save money through a tax-advantaged savings account.
On the issue of abortion, Casey has said he does not support a complete ban and that lawmakers should work to reduce the number of abortions and unintended pregnancies in their states.
Republicans
At the time of publication, no Republicans have announced their intentions to run for U.S. Senate, though several have either acknowledged interest to get in the race or plans not to run.
Dave McCormick – “Seriously considering”
Dave McCormick, the runner-up in the 2022 Republican Senate primary, says he is “seriously considering” another run in 2024. McCormick, the former CEO of Bridgewater Associates and a member of the Treasury Department under President George W. Bush lost the 2022 nomination to Mehmet Oz by 950 votes.
Born in Pittsburgh and raised in Bloomsburg, McCormick graduated from West Point and earned a Bronze Star while serving in the 82nd Airborne Division in the Gulf War. He drew criticism during the 2022 race after living in Connecticut as the CEO of Bridgewater Associates and returning to Pennsylvania before the 2022 election.
An April 2023 Franklin & Marshall poll of 643 registered Pennsylvania voters showed Casey leading McCormick 42% to 35% in a hypothetical 2024 general election.
Not running in 2024
Doug Mastriano
The Pennsylvania State Senator and 2022 Republican nominee for Governor shocked political insiders across the state in May when he announced he would not run for U.S. Senate.
“At this time, we have decided not to run for the U.S. Senate, but to continue to serve in Harrisburg,” Mastriano said. “I know for some that will be disappointing. For others, it won’t be disappointing because you’re like, ‘Who’s going to fill his seat? Who’s going to be our voice in Harrisburg?’”
Kathy Barnette
Author and conservative commentator Kathy Barnette announced in March that she will not make a second run at the U.S. Senate. Barnette finished third in the 2022 Republican primary after a late surge and heightened criticism from opponents and Donald Trump.
abc27 will continue to update this list as candidates decide whether to enter, pass on, or withdraw from the race.
