Thin vote margin triggers recount in PA Senate race

✅ The recount was automatically triggered under state law

✅ AP called the race for Republican Dave McCormick who claimed victory

✅ Incumbent Bob Casey insisted on counting all votes being counted first

A recount has been triggered in the tight U.S. Senate race between incumbent Democratic Sen. Bob Casey and Republican challenger Dave McCormick as nearly 30,000 votes separate them.

After the Associated Press called the race for McCormick he claimed victory. He attended a new member orientation in Washington at the invitation of Democrat Sen. Chuck Schumer after Republican Senator Mike Lee offered to "personally escort" McCormick into the orientation, according to Fox News.

The Fair Election Fund also launched an ad campaign calling Casey a "sore loser" for not conceding the race, according to the New York Post. The ad points out that Casey called on Donald Trump to concede the 2020 presidential election to ensure a peaceful transfer of power when the Republican insisted he had won.

Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt on Wednesday said that vote totals for Casey and McCormick are within the one-half of 1 percent margin that triggers a mandatory recount under state law. McCormick has 3,380,310, or 48.93% of the vote while Casey has 3,350,972, or 48.50%.

As of Wednesday afternoon county election officials reported there are 60,366 uncounted provisional ballots and 20,155 uncounted mail-in and absentee ballots for a total of 80,521. That total includes all ballots for which county boards of elections have not yet made a final resolution regarding their validity or eligibility to be counted.

Candidates silent on recount

Counties must first finish the initial vote count and then begin the recount by Nov. 20. The recount must be completed by noon on Nov. 26 and reported within 24 hours to Schmidt.

The recount will cost over $1 million, according to Schmidt.

Casey nor McCormick issued statements following the recall announcement. Prior to the announcement.

Republicans have control of both the Senate and House.  The GOP holds 218 seats in the House of Representatives giving them a thin majority and 53 in the Senate if McCormick takes the seat.

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