PA Sen. Bob Casey concedes election to Dave McCormick

Democratic Sen. Bob Casey conceded to Republican Dave McCormick as a recount did not show the Democrat gaining any significant ground.

The vote count as of 5 a.m. Friday was 48% for Casey and 49% for McCormick with just over 16,000 votes separating them, according to the state election results page. Casey's campaign said the last of the ballots cast before polls closed on Nov. 5's Election Day had finally been counted Thursday. The three term Democrat took to social media to make his concession.

“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," Casey said in a video.

With Casey's concession Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmid ordered the recount to end in  statement Friday.  Counties must certify their election results by Nov. 25.

McCormick was complimentary of Casey's three terms in his acknowledgement of the concession.

"Senator Bob Casey dedicated his career to bettering our commonwealth. 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," McCormick wrote on his X account.

The Associated Press called the race for McCormick two days after the election. The news agency in its analysis did not believe the remaining 91,000 votes to count at the time were not from areas supporting Casey. McCormick claimed victory and has attended several orientations for newly elected senators while a recount was underway.

"After dragging the state through a recount that cost the taxpayers an estimated $1 million dollars, Bob Casey finally admitted to what we all already knew…Dave McCormick won the election and will be the next United States Senator from Pennsylvania," the Bucks County Republicans Committee wrote on its Facebook page.

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