Bob Casey concedes to David McCormick in Pennsylvania Senate race

Sen. Bob Casey, Pennsylvania Democrat, officially conceded defeat in his reelection bid.

Mr. Casey made the concession Thursday evening in a video statement posted to X.

“I just called Dave McCormick to congratulate him on his election to represent Pennsylvania in the United States Senate,” he said.

He noted that the race had been decided by less than a quarter of a percentage point, but said there was no way he could make up that small a gap.

The concession ensures that Republicans will have a 53-47 edge in the upper chamber when it reconvenes in January.

Mr. McCormick, who had already claimed victory, reposted Mr. Casey’s video later Thursday evening and accepted his concession.

“Dina and I want to extend our sincere gratitude to Senator Casey, Terese, and their family for their decades of service, hard work, and personal sacrifice. I am so honored to represent every single citizen in Pennsylvania in the United States Senate and will fight for you every day. Thank you!” he wrote.

But his apparent victory had become contentious in recent days in fights over the recount, prompted by the Republican having a lead of less than 18,000 votes.

On Monday, the state Supreme Court ordered counties not to count mail-in ballots that lack a correct handwritten date on the return envelope. Some Democrat-heavy counties were openly defying an earlier order from an appeals court.

One Republican senator floated the idea of refusing to seat Mr. Casey if, in the GOP’s judgment, underhanded Democratic recount tactics stole the race.

The co-chairman of the Republican National Committee threatened legal action earlier this week to make sure “only legal votes are going to be counted.”

“We certainly are exploring that right now, and we will pursue this to the fullest extent that we can,” co-chairman Michael Whatley said.

• Seth McLaughlin contributed to this report.