PITTSBURGH — GOP Senate candidate Dave McCormick voted early in this Democratic stronghold Monday — just as Pennsylvania Republicans are cutting into their blue counterparts’ pre-Election Day balloting advantage.
“We’ve had a huge push on closing the gap on mail-in ballots, getting Republicans out early. Tomorrow’s the last day to register for a mail-in ballot. So I wanted to come down here and set a good example, try to get people out to vote,” McCormick told The Post after casting his ballot in downtown Pittsburgh.
The nonpartisan Cook Political Report last week moved the race from lean Democratic to a toss-up as recent polls show McCormick and three-term Democratic Sen. Bob Casey neck and neck.
Republicans are busily promoting early and mail-in balloting to “swamp the vote” in 2024 after former President Donald Trump’s comments about fraud undermined the GOP mail-in vote in 2020.
McCormick campaign strategist Mark Harris said the team is knocking doors, making calls and posting to social media to encourage early voting, whether by mail or in person, just as groups like Americans for Prosperity and Elon Musk’s America political-action committee try to reach low-turnout Trump and McCormick supporters in Pennsylvania.
It seems to be working.
“Last week we had more requests than Democrats,” Harris said, whipping out an Excel spreadsheet on his phone to show registered Republicans made 17,000 more mail-in requests than Democrats.
Though Dems have requested and returned hundreds of thousands more mail-in ballots in total, Republicans have increased their share considerably.
They held 30% of all mail-in returns 12 days out from Election Day, up from 21% in 2020 and 20% in 2022, shared Harris, who analyzed weekly data from the Pennsylvania Department of State.
Cliff Maloney with the Pennsylvania Chase mail-in-vote project has told The Post that Trump could win Pennsylvania with 26% of the mail-in vote and guarantee victory with 33%. He said his 120 paid canvassers have knocked almost 360,000 doors to encourage low-propensity Trump voters to return their ballots.
Outside the Allegheny County Office Building with two dozen McCormick supporters, Janet Sidor, Franklin Park Republican Committee vice chair, was on the phone with an elderly couple, helping them update their mail-in ballot address before Tuesday’s request deadline.
“I’m just trying to help a voter solve a problem,” the McCormick campaign volunteer said.
At least six early voters in the growing line outside the building — which included people in cowboy hats and from the suburbs — said they’re voting Republican.
Pat Mason brought his daughter Gabby, 19, down from Tarentum in northeast Pittsburgh to vote Republican in her first election.
“They’re getting the message out. They want you to vote early, unlike in 2020,” he said, noting he’s been encouraged by social media and TV ads.
Mark and Catherine Zik, pro-life Republicans from South Fayette, said they’re voting for the Army vet because they like him.
“He’s got business smarts, and Casey’s been in there too long,” Mark told The Post.
But Matt and Kim Smith, a retired couple who recently fled California for Pittsburgh, didn’t know much about the candidate.
“He’s behind, right?” asked Matt, who was ecstatic about Trump’s promises to lower taxes, hike tariffs and secure the border.
But if the former prez excites some early voters, his place at the top of the ticket may turn off other would-be McCormick voters.
“I’m not supporting McCormick. I believe a woman’s right to choose is paramount,” said retiree Judy Gough from Forest Hills, who’s voting straight Democrat.
Though McCormick does not support a federal abortion ban, she said, “He supports Donald Trump. I don’t trust him.”
Andrea Petri, an Italian émigré, said the Republican Party would have to change a lot to earn his vote after Trump.
“My country was torn apart by fascism. I don’t want the same to happen here. Very simple,” the software engineer from Fox Chapel said.
McCormick urged his supporters to keep working — and not just on the party faithful.
“We gotta get people out there to vote early. We gotta get Republicans to vote, but we gotta get independents and Democrats,” he said.
The deadline to request a no-excuse mail-in ballot in Pennsylvania is Tuesday, Oct. 29 — before 5 p.m. To count, they must be returned to one’s county election office by 8 p.m. on Tuesday, November 5.
