Democratic Sen. Bob Casey will seek a fourth term in office, bringing the power of incumbency and unmatched name recognition in Pennsylvania politics to his party’s defence of a seat in a critical presidential battleground state.
The announcement by Casey, the longest-serving Democratic US senator in Pennsylvania history, gives Democrats a boost ahead of a difficult 2024 Senate map. They must defend incumbents not only in red states — Montana, Ohio and West Virginia — but also in multiple swing states.
Casey, who will turn 63 in a few days, is a key ally of labour unions and President Joe Biden.
In Congress, Casey, a moderate Democrat, has backed all of Biden’s top priorities and forged a close relationship with the president, at least in part because the men also have a bond that goes beyond politics:
They hail from the same hometown of Scranton.
In running for reelection, Casey’s message sounds similar to how Biden’s campaign for a second term may sound.