McCormick has loaned his campaign $2 million so far but lags Casey on campaign cash

Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey is closing out the primary election season with about $11.9 million in the bank, almost double the amount posted by his Republican rival, David McCormick.

In new finance reports covering the first quarter of this year, the Democratic incumbent reported raising about $5.7 million, while McCormick trailed slightly with about $5.4 million — an amount that included a $971,000 personal loan to his own campaign effort.

Though he's entering the general election season with less money than Casey's campaign, McCormick is likely to be Casey’s most formidable challenger to date, political experts say.

The race is in the national spotlight as a must-win for Democrats who hope to retain control of the U.S. Senate and a target for Republicans who hope to claim power in the upper chamber.

Casey has gathered more than $23.9 million in the election cycle to date, more than double the amount garnered by McCormick, according to Federal Election Commission filings.

McCormick, a former hedge fund CEO, came into the race boosted by his billionaire supporters and by his own personal fortune, with financial disclosures showing he's loaned his campaign about $2 million so far.

And after facing a crowded field in his unsuccessful bid to win the 2022 GOP Senate nomination, he has enjoyed relatively smooth sailing through this year’s primary and early support from the Pennsylvania party establishment.

McCormick last week also bagged an endorsement from Donald Trump, despite his uneven history with the former president.

“He’s a good man. He wants to run a good ship. He’s a smart guy,” Trump said during a weekend rally near Allentown.

During the 2022 Senate primary, Trump blasted McCormick as a “liberal Wall Street Republican” and instead backed Mehmet Oz for the GOP nomination. Oz wound up losing the general election to Democrat John Fetterman.

More: John Fetterman wins Pa. Senate race, flipping key seat for Democrats

A recent poll from Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster shows Casey maintaining a comfortable lead in the race, with 46% of respondents picking him and 39% preferring McCormick in a head-to-head matchup. The margins are roughly unchanged from the college’s February and October polls.

The general election race between the two candidates will officially kick off following the Pennsylvania primary Tuesday.

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Casey holds fundraising edge over McCormick in PA Senate race