Casey builds re-election case in campaign speech

Casey will seek his fourth term in the United States Senate. His win over Lou Barletta in 2018 made him the first Democrat in Pennsylvania to win three Senate terms and six statewide elections, having served as Treasurer and Auditor General in Harrisburg before heading to D.C.

Sen. Bob Casey will seek his fourth term in the United States Senate. Abdul R. Sulayman, PHILADELPHIA TRIBUNE

“I’m proud of my record and I’m looking forward to doing more,” Casey told his supporters. “There are fights out there we have to win, and a lot of those fights are going to be on the ballot in 2024. There’s fights we have to win for the people of our state.”

Friday’s speech laid out his four “big fights” he plans to emphasize in his campaign, affirming his major legislative victories and creating a distinctive choice between himself and the hedge fund manager he expects to challenge him. Casey plans to show how he has protected rights, lowered costs, supported economic freedoms and advocated for the most vulnerable citizens.

The senator brought up his victories in bringing valuable federal funding to Pennsylvania, notably the Infrastructure Act to help soften the pandemic. He also attacked McCormick as an anti-labor, pro-corporate politician known for working with China and the Communist Party. Casey warned that losing this election would put workers rights, women’s rights and the progress Pennsylvania has made during his years in the Senate, in grave danger.

During the speech, Casey brought up his most visible campaign for consumers, referring to “greedflation”, driven by corporate profits under the guise of inflation. He cited that corporate profits rose five times more than the rate of inflation since the pandemic, costing consumers more for everyday goods and services. His efforts align him with the White House and the administration’s effort to reduce “junk fees” paid by consumers. However, following his speech, Casey did not outright refuse corporate campaign donations, claiming those organizations would endorse his ideals and promises by offering money.

Mayor Cherelle Parker spoke before Casey, highlighting many of the legislative projects he has brought to the area. She mentioned the $25 million in funding to address water infrastructure Philadelphia received through state grants backed by the American Rescue Plan Act. She brought up expansion of traffic calming measures generated by money from Washington. What most excited her was the massive hydrogen production announced in October that will make Philadelphia a regional hub for the fuel of the future with potentially 20,000 new jobs.

“It’s important to be here with labor, also, because we get a chance to stand up together to publicly affirm how essential it is that we re-elect our United States Senator, who has delivered consistently and constantly throughout his tenure in the U.S. Senate for our city,” Parker said. “I want you to know I can’t deliver as the mayor of the city of Philadelphia without strong partnerships with our federal leaders. Senator Casey, thank you for delivering for our city.”

After the speech, Casey was asked about the International Court of Justice ruling that sided with South African charges of genocide against Israel in their ongoing battles with Hamas. He didn’t mention what effect this might have on support in the Senate but kept the focus on Hamas who started the fighting in October and are, in his words, “an ongoing threat to the people of Israel right now.”

He claimed that unless Hamas is wiped out or reduced substantially, there is no forward path for peace in the region.

State Sen. Sharif Street addressed questions about how Casey will do paired with President Joe Biden atop the ticket in November, likely facing former President Donald Trump and McCormick on the Republican side.

Casey won re-election in 2012, along with President Barack Obama, by about nine percentage points, despite concerns that Casey didn’t fully the top of the ticket.

Street pointed out that Republicans have not won a statewide race in the last two years. He also spoke confidently about negotiations over SEPTA funding in the General Assembly and predicted a deal will be reached before the end of the fiscal year, avoiding the cuts in services and fare increases.

“I think Sen. Casey will do well, I think the president will do well,” the state party chair said after the speeches. “I think we’ve got a strong ticket and they’ll run a coordinated campaign. I suspect they will both do well and they will win Pennsylvania.”