On Tuesday, Dave McCormick, a Republican candidate for the Pennsylvania Senate, unveiled an advertisement that highlights the resilience and determination he developed as a wrestler in the Keystone State. McCormick’s wrestling background, he asserts, instilled in him the values of perseverance and making tough decisions. “Pennsylvania wrestling taught me the importance of hard work and facing difficult choices,” McCormick states in the advertisement.
McCormick criticizes Washington’s career politicians for their lack of commitment to hard work, contrasting their approach with the values he learned from wrestling. His campaign aims not only to spotlight his tenacity but also to resonate with Pennsylvania voters who hold a deep appreciation for wrestling.
A press release from McCormick’s campaign sheds light on his impressive wrestling credentials. As a student at Bloomsburg Area High School, McCormick served as the wrestling team’s co-captain and secured fourth place in the state. He was a PIAA District 4 champion and was recently inducted into the region’s Hall of Fame. McCormick’s wrestling journey continued at West Point, where he was the co-captain of the Army Wrestling Team and a two-time qualifier for the NCAA Division I Tournament.
Pennsylvania is renowned for its high school and college wrestling programs, a reputation underscored by the Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team’s dominant performance at the 2024 NCAA Championships.
McCormick’s campaign is focused on unseating Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA), who has been in office since 2007. Casey, the son of former Pennsylvania Governor Bob Casey Sr., has criticized McCormick for his tenure as CEO of Bridgewater Associates, a Connecticut-based hedge fund. However, McCormick’s advertisement emphasizes his wrestling background and his experience at West Point.
The advertisement will be broadcast across Pennsylvania and featured during the NCAA basketball tournament, highlighting McCormick’s commitment to the values he learned through wrestling.
The Pennsylvania Senate race is critical, as it could influence whether Senate Republicans can regain the majority from the Democrats, who currently hold a slim majority. Recent polls show a tight race, with a CNN poll indicating a tie between former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden in the state, and an Emerson College poll showing Casey with a slight lead over McCormick.
The race has also been marked by controversy, with law enforcement officials criticizing Casey’s endorsement by the anti-police group Pennsylvania Indivisible as “alarming and extremely dangerous.” Chris Eiserman, deputy police chief of Folcroft and president of Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 27, expressed concern over the group’s advocacy for defunding the police and ending cash bail.
In contrast, McCormick positions himself as a law-and-order candidate who supports the police and takes the safety of Pennsylvanians seriously. As a combat veteran, McCormick emphasizes his commitment to addressing threats to public safety.
This article was written by Sean Moran, a policy reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SeanMoran3.