The race for the presidency isn’t the only election in which Pennsylvania looms large.

Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate race between Dave McCormick and incumbent Democrat Bob Casey is one Republicans are eyeing as the party tries to flip control of the Senate from Democrat to Republican.

Casey has been a semiregular visitor to Warren County over the years, including earlier this year when he followed up on Senate testimony by Warren businesswoman Erin Willman with a visit to White Cane Coffee. McCormick isn’t as familiar a face in Warren County but he has visited the area during this election run, including a visit to Ball Run Energy earlier this year.

It’s clear what McCormick would be as a senator. He’s toeing the Republican party line on strengthening the southern border, reducing crime, using Pennsylvania to help end a reliance on foreign energy sources, protecting the Second Amendment, opposes a national abortion ban and trying to control inflation by cutting federal spending.

Casey’s strength in Pennsylvania lies in the fact he has been a centrist Democrat even as the party has moved further and further to the left on most policy issues. But it’s getting more difficult to practice Casey’s brand of centrist politics. The senator has reconsidered his measured stance on abortion since the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade while backing federal legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act that aimed to bring more broadband internet access to Pennsylvania and bring additional federal aid for public projects to the commonwealth.

Of course, Trump looms large in this race.

Casey has been a longtime Trump critic while McCormick was spurned by Trump in 2023 before earning Trump’s endorsement this year. It stands to reason voters’ feelings about Trump will color their feelings about their choice of McCormick or Casey to represent the state in the Senate.

How this race turns out will be an interesting litmus test for our national politics. It’s not just Casey who faces a serious election challenge this year, it’s his brand of politics.