Bob Casey has conceded the Pennsylvania Senate race to Dave McCormick, making the final partisan split in the Senate next session 53R-47D.
Bob Casey concedes to Dave McCormick in Pennsylvania Senate race - Live Updates - POLITICO
Channeling my inner Jerry Springer – and now, a final thought:
Looking back on my OP, this election played out well within the range of how I thought it would. The three Democratic seats in red states flipped Republican. In a Presidential election year and with the increased polarization of the country, it would have taken a miracle for the Ds to pull out those races. Democrats actually did pretty darned good in the swing states, only losing one incumbent. I will say that I’m surprised that one loss was Casey. Of the endangered swing state Democrats, he seemed to me to have the best resume for reelection – solid moderate credentials, a storied name in Pennsylvania politics. And of course, Texas and Florida remain white whales for the Democrats.
As for the future – I’m repeating myself at this point, but I’m not very hopeful. The states have effectively sorted themselves in the Senate. Even as states became solidly “red” and “blue” in the Presidential election, you used to have a dozen or more “wrong party” Senators who bucked their states’ political leans. But the Great Plains Democrats and Northeastern Republicans are all gone (Susan Collins aside). The moderating influence they played in the chamber is gone too. And it gives Republicans a strong structural advantage in the Senate, as they have a partisan advantage in significantly more states than Democrats.
I’m horrified…Scott Presler is now saying he will work hard to “Floridaise” Pennsylvania and also focus attention on New Jersey.
I do think that Sherrod Brown has a good chance to take back Vance’s seat in 2026, especially if the Trump Administration is as bad as we fear.
Could be. He’s also been mentioned as a possible candidate for governor next year.
What Sherrod Brown says went wrong in his Senate race — and for Democrats
Maybe. But after this last election, there isn’t a single Democratic Senator left representing a reliably “red” state. Ohio ain’t no swing state. I do think he’d have a better shot at governor.
Agree…from a distance I feel Ohio has become reliably red as far as senate election is concerned
I’m afraid you’re right, unless there’s a stellar Dem candidate and the Republican incumbent has major issues/baggage.
For Senate elections two years hence, see under " Democrats should do well in 2026" here:
Any consolation, no matter how small, is very welcome right now. Thanks.
I suppose it’s possible, for certain definitions of “do well.” As the article notes, there are only two Senate Republicans up for reelection in 2026 in states where Trump didn’t win by at least ten points. Democrats need to pick up four seats to take back control of the Senate. And they’ll have to defend seats in Michigan and Georgia where Trump won as well as several more in states that Harris won by single-digit margins.
And in related 2026 news, Tom Cotton has apparently blocked an attempt to give John Cornyn the Intelligence Committee gavel as a sop after losing the Majority Leader race. That’ll leave Cornyn with no leadership position, no committee chair and no prospects of advancement. At this point I doubt that he’ll run again – not that Texas is going to elect a Democrat in two years.