The Cook Political Report, an analysis of the US elections, announced on Monday (October 21) a change in the ratings for two US Senate races. The rating for Pennsylvania was shifted from “leans Democratic” to “toss-up,” while Nebraska’s rating was changed from “likely Republican” to “leans Republican.”
This rating change from the Cook Political Report comes with just 15 days left until the November US elections.
In Pennsylvania, Democratic Senator Bob Casey is seeking his fourth term in the US Senate. However, his Republican challenger, David McCormick, a former co-CEO of the world’s largest hedge fund, Bridgewater Associates, is gaining momentum at the final stretch before the election.
McCormick previously ran for a Senate seat in the 2022 midterm elections but lost narrowly in the primaries to Mehmet Oz, a medical talk show host supported by former President Trump. In this year’s bipartisan competition, McCormick is also in a weaker position, as previously assessed by the Cook Political Report as “leans Democratic.”
Analyst Jessica Taylor from the Cook Political Report stated in the report released on Monday, “While public polls in the Keystone State still show Democratic Senator Bob Casey slightly ahead, internal polls from both the Republican and Democratic parties indicate that this is now a race within the margin of error. Casey leads with a slim margin of 1 to 2 percentage points, which is not statistically significant.”
Taylor pointed out that although many fundamental factors may still slightly favor Casey, “the race has now tightened enough that it belongs more to the toss-up column.”
The competition in Nebraska is also intensifying, with Republican Senator Deb Fischer’s advantage on the rise. The Cook Political Report revised its prediction for the attribution of this Senate seat from “likely Republican” to “leans Republican.” Shortly before this rating change, the Senate Leadership Fund, a Republican super PAC, announced an injection of $3 million into Fischer’s reelection campaign.
Currently, the Democrats hold a slim majority of 51 seats to 49 in the Senate, and both parties are fiercely competing for control in the next Congress.