Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. Bob Casey distanced himself from the Biden administration in a new television campaign ad aired in parts of the state on Friday, highlighting support for certain Trump administration policies and calling out supporters of the former president. suggested a last-minute appeal. It is in a major battleground.
In the ad, two voters, a Republican and a Democrat from Old Forge, Pennsylvania, praise Mr. Casey as an independent congressman and “oppose Mr. Biden to protect fracking and end fracking.” “I stood by Mr. Trump’s side to help him.” Sign NAFTA and impose tariffs on China. ”
The spot aired nearly 100 times Friday in Pennsylvania, often in heavily Republican areas such as Johnstown and Altoona, according to data provided by tracking firm AdImpact.
Trump’s campaign quickly seized on Casey’s reference to Trump in the commercial, attacking the senator on social media for “desperately trying to embrace President Trump.” “Mr. Kamala’s crazy radical leftist policies are unacceptable.”
A source from Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign in Pennsylvania said Harris supports fracking and the ad does not signal that Casey is distancing herself from the vice president. Asked whether Mr. Casey’s campaign notified the Harris campaign about the ad before it aired, the person said they do not discuss internal communications between the two campaigns.
Maddie McDaniel, a spokeswoman for Mr. Casey, said the senator “always does what’s right for Pennsylvania, regardless of party.” I don’t care what you say.”
Mr. Casey had a reputation as a modest moderate early in his career in the Senate, but he rose to prominence by resisting many of former President Donald J. Trump’s policies. He has also moved significantly to the left during his nearly 18 years in the Senate, increasingly supporting legislation aimed at gun control and ensuring access to abortion.
Another Democratic senator running for re-election, Sen. Tammy Baldwin of the battleground state of Wisconsin, also spoke Friday in the state’s major cities with Mr. Trump and President Biden about policies to boost U.S. manufacturing. They aired ads depicting them as being equally committed. The ad says Baldwin “got President Trump to sign the Made in America Act and then got President Biden to make it permanent.”
The ad was the latest sign that both senators are aiming for a centrist position in the fiercely contested race. Casey won reelection in the 2018 election, defeating his Republican opponent by a 13-point margin. A Times poll last week showed Mr. Casey leading Republican businessman David McCormick by 5 points. Polls show Baldwin’s lead over his Republican opponent, bank executive Eric Hovde, has narrowed in recent weeks.
Incumbent legislators and other candidates often emphasize their efforts to reach across the aisle on the issues that matter most to voters. For example, Mr. Casey’s opponent, Mr. McCormick, posted a photo on social media of him shaking hands with Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro at a police conference after the first assassination attempt on Mr. Trump earlier this year. did.
But while Mr. Biden, Ms. Harris and other Democratic leaders have spent years arguing that Mr. Trump poses a unique threat to American democracy, some senators have expressed their desire to cooperate with Mr. Trump. is strengthening.
At least one claim in the ad is somewhat misleading: “I supported Biden to protect fracking and I supported Trump to end NAFTA.”
Biden took no action on fracking in Pennsylvania.
Regarding NAFTA, Mr. Casey expressed support for the steps taken by the Trump administration to renegotiate NAFTA and fully withdraw from the Pacific Trade Agreement.
Casey voted in favor of the updated trade deal, but noted in a statement posted on the Senate website that significant changes were made before he and other Democrats supported the deal. are. He added: “The first proposal the Trump administration negotiated was a business trade agreement that was completely unacceptable.”
Michael Gold contributed to this report.
