Schumer refuses to acknowledge McCormick's win in Pennsylvania and will not allow him to participate in orientation sessions

Dave McCormick won the Senate election in Pennsylvania. The Republican carried the state by less than one percentage point and defeated Bob Casey after nearly twenty years in Washington, D.C. However, like Casey, Chuck Schumer still does not recognize his win and will not accept it at the orientation sessions for senators-elect.

The still Democratic majority leader does not perceive McCormick as the winner of the Pennsylvania election and announced he will not invite him to protocol sessions on Capitol Hill.

“With over 100,000 ballots left to be counted in Pennsylvania, the race has not been decided. As is custom, we will invite the winner once the votes are counted," Schumer said in a statement released Sunday.

Although Casey led the polls for most of the campaign, McCormick gained momentum in late October and prevailed with 49% of the vote, compared to 48.4% for the Democratic incumbent.

Fox News and The Associated Press called the race in the Republican's favor a few days ago. Pending Casey's reluctance to acknowledge the results, AP justified its decision recently.

"McCormick was winning in regions across the state, except Philadelphia and its suburbs, though he cut Casey’s margins there from six years ago. Not enough of the outstanding votes still to be counted came from areas that Casey was winning for him to close the gap. (...) Even if he carried six out of 10 of the outstanding votes, he still wouldn’t have won. Even if there were far more ballots left to count than the AP estimates are actually remaining, and Casey were to win them by a far larger margin than he is now, he still would not win," they explained on their website.

McCormick, who during the campaign talked to VOZ, will officially become a senator next January 3, 2025, marking the start of the new Congress.

What are Senate orientation sessions?

Formally established in 1976, these programs are intended to inform and prepare senators-elect in the months before their official start in the Senate. With explanations ranging from the simplest rules to the oldest traditions of this legislative body, the orientation sessions are a tradition that has been around for nearly fifty years.

"Typically, these programs last for several days in November and coincide with party leadership elections. Presenters range from the party floor leaders and senators of the most recent freshman class to Senate officers, parliamentarians, security experts, curators, and historians. Sessions cover a host of practical topics from 'parliamentary procedure' and 'setting up a new office,' to 'life in the Senate.' In addition to this bipartisan Senate-wide program, each of the two political parties organizes briefings and retreats to orient their senators," they explained on the Senate's website.