Delaware County Republicans and members of the Philadelphia Log Cabin Republicans warmly welcomed Senate candidate Dave McCormick at a reception in Swarthmore on Wednesday.
McCormick, 58, touted his early support for gay marriage. In 2013, McCormick signed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court backed by Ric Grennell. Grenell, who is gay, served as ambassador to Germany and acting director of national intelligence under former President Donald Trump. He was the first openly gay cabinet member in U.S. history.
“People told me if you want to have a future in the Republican Party, you won’t sign that,” McCormick recalled. “And the reason I signed it is because I had served in the military with a number of great patriots who were gay and closeted. I had a family member. And I’m a libertarian in many ways. I want people to have the freedom to live the life they want and equality of opportunity.”
Afterward, Alex Jablokov, a Swarthmore GOP committeeman, said, “I like Dave. He’s moderate socially. I think that will help him in Pennsylvania.”
Val Biancaniello, a Republican state committeewoman from Marple, agreed.
(From left) Delaware County GOP Chair Frank Agovino, Justin Zebley, president of the Philadelphia Log Cabin Republicans, Dave McCormick, and Swarthmore GOP Chair Rob Jordan.
“I like that Dave is working hard. He has great messaging. He’s not a career politician. He has business experience. He’s someone who has business savvy and can bring manufacturing back to the state. He supports LGBTQ Republicans. We have a big tent and a place for everyone in Pennsylvania,” she said. The Log Cabin Republicans is an LGBT conservative group.
A new Emerson poll shows McCormick is closing the gap with Casey. It found 45 percent of voters support Casey, and 41 percent support McCormick. However, 14 percent remain undecided.
“I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t think I was going to win but also had a pathway to win,” said McCormick. “This is a change election. A change election is when guys like me, who aren’t part of the system, who aren’t part of public life, beat guys like Bob Casey, who’s been there for 30 years, in a Senate race.”
McCormick and his wife, Dina Powell, have six daughters.
“I’m going to be all right. The question is, are they going to be OK? We’re on a path where they won’t be OK. Our kids won’t be OK unless we change the direction of the country.”
“This is a moment (where) we’re at a crossroads. We’re either going to do what’s necessary to get things back on track, or we’re going to say, ‘Oh my God, how did that happen?’”
“We want to make sure America remains the America we love, the America we all benefited from,” said McCormick. “We got to do something about it. And that’s why I’m running.”
He lost the last campaign against Dr. Mehmet Oz in 2022 by 900 votes out of 1.5 million cast. Oz then lost to now Sen. John Fetterman.
“The decline is evident around us,” McCormick said. “Economically, $34 trillion of debt, a $1 trillion interest payments. The interest payment on our debt is bigger than our defense budget. You see it with Bidenomics…60 percent of Pennsylvanians are living paycheck to paycheck. Prices have gone up by 17 percent. Real wages have gone up by 14 percent. So if you’re buying food or fuel or rent it got more expensive. If you’re making a payment on a pickup truck, it’s 50 percent more expensive. If you’re trying to buy a house, it’s twice as much. New home sales have gone down.”
He mentioned the open border, fentanyl pouring into the country and causing 5,000 deaths last year in Pennsylvania.
“Ten million illegal immigrants have come over the border under Biden, a huge national security threat,” McCormick said. And “160 of those—these are the ones who are apprehended—are on the terrorist watch list. It took 13 people to take down the (Twin) Towers.”
He said, “Bob Casey and Joe Biden are having an election-year epiphany that the border is now a problem.”
McCormick also discussed rising crime, increasing antisemitism, the Middle East, policies he holds his Democratic opponent responsible for.
“You see it in the war on energy,” he said. Pennsylvania has “the fourth largest natural gas reserves in the world. If we could unlock that energy supply, it would be an economic boom, not just for Pennsylvania but the entire economy.”
“But the overarching goal of the Biden administration, with Bob Casey supporting it every step of the way, is to stop using fossil fuels, drive up the prices so people buy less, and switch to alternative energy sources, which come from China.
“You can’t believe the barbarism that took place (when Hamas attacked Israel),” he said. “This is evil against Israel and the West. It’s underwritten by Iran. And the original sin was the deal Iran did with Obama. And Bob Casey was the deciding vote.”
Delaware County GOP Chairman Frank Agovino asked about abortion, noting Democrats are using it as an issue.
“We have Republicans and Democrats that supported our current legislation (allowing abortion up to 23 weeks),” McCormick said. “The governor who signed it was Gov. Casey. I’m in line with Casey’s dad, not Casey the son. (Sen. Casey) was a pro-life Democrat (but) he completely went to the other side. And he’s got the position now there should be abortions up until the day of birth.”
“I don’t support abortion bans. I do support the three exceptions. And there’s lots of common ground, like on contraception, adoption support, and restrictions on late-term abortions.”
People want leadership, McCormick said, calling Case “absolutely anything but a leader.”
“I’ll be an independent voice who will fight for what’s best in Pennsylvania,” McCormick promised.
