(The Center Square) \u2013 With 10 days to go until the 2026 election, former U.S. Sen. Bob Casey was back on the campaign trail for fellow Democrats running for office in Bucks County.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The longest serving Democratic U.S. Senator in Pennsylvania\u2019s history said he thinks costs should be the focus of his party\u2019s closing message.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cGas, groceries, housing, healthcare, and, you could add, utility costs to that as well, and to make it a very clear choice,\u201d Casey said in an interview with The Center Square on Saturday.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey’ve had their chance with a president, a House, and the Senate in Washington, and if anything, the cost issue got a lot worse,\u201d he continued. \u201cLargely because of the war and tariffs, but they also made it a hell of a lot worse by passing that disgusting bill in 2025, which took away food assistance and will in 2027 begin to take away Medicaid coverage to give very rich people a tax cut.\u201d<\/p>\n
Casey, referring to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, called it \u201cgross, obscene, and really destructive\u201d and believes it will \u201cincrease people\u2019s costs and has already started to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n
The economy and affordability were the marquee issues on voters’ minds in the 2024 election. However, during that cycle, voters largely trusted Republicans<\/a> on the matter as they won races up and down the ballot in Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n President Donald Trump won the Keystone State\u2019s 19 electoral votes two years ago over Vice President Kamala Harris. Casey, who was seeking his fourth term, narrowly lost to Republican challenger Dave McCormick. Republicans also won all statewide row offices in Pennsylvania and flipped two U.S. House seats.<\/p>\n Since taking back the White House and having majorities in both chambers, Republicans have promoted tax reform<\/a> legislation signed into law last year that eliminated taxes on tips, overtime, and Social Security.\u00a0<\/p>\n Democrats, for their part, have criticized Trump\u2019s tariff policies and the War in Iran for the current issue of costs.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cPeople know that the decision the president made to attack the Iranian regime was not just a contributor to, but it was directly related to the increase in gasoline prices,\u201d Casey said to The Center Square.\u00a0<\/p>\n While Republicans had the advantage on affordability in the previous election cycle, polling shows Democrats now have an edge on the issue, which is top of mind for voters in Pennsylvania and beyond.\u00a0<\/p>\n Following a bruising 2024, Democrats are on the offensive in 2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n At the top of the ballot in Pennsylvania, Gov. Josh Shapiro is facing Republican State Treasurer Stacy Garrity in his quest for a second term.\u00a0<\/p>\n On the campaign trail, the governor has emphasized his goal of winning a trifecta in both the state House and Senate. For Democrats to achieve this, they will likely have to flip seats in Bucks County.\u00a0<\/p>\n Following his speech on Saturday and rallying support for Bob Harvie\u2019s bid for Congress, Eileen Hartnett Albillar campaign for state Senate, and Kristin Egan\u2019s bid for the state House, Casey lauded the quality of the candidates in the key swing county and the impact a Democratic trifecta would have across the state.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe state Senate has been in Democratic hands, I think, 15 or 16 months out of the last 45 years,\u201d Casey said to The Center Square. \u201cAnd in that 15 or 16-month period in ’92, ’93, they passed the Children’s Health Insurance Program.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIf they didn’t have those months\u2026that would never be part of our healthcare system,\u201d he continued. \u201cSo, this majority that Eileen’s going to be a part of will have a chance to do things like that to really lift people up and to invest in families.\u201d<\/p>\n Then-Gov. Bob Casey, the late father of Casey, signed the Children\u2019s Health Insurance Act into law in 1992<\/a>. It was also the last time the party controlled both chambers and the governor\u2019s mansion.<\/p>\n Democrats running for Pennsylvania\u2019s General Assembly have used talk of a trifecta as a key unifying message to advance large parts of Shapiro\u2019s agenda, which include raising the state\u2019s minimum wage, funding mass transit statewide, and legalizing recreational marijuana.\u00a0<\/p>\n State Rep. Amen Brown, D-Philadelphia, wants to see Shapiro elected to a second term in office and hopes Democrats win a trifecta, but told The Center Square<\/a> earlier this month that he has \u201cserious concerns about a supermajority in the state House\u201d and advised in the legislature to \u201cgovern from the middle.\u201d<\/p>\n In addition to supporting those candidates in Bucks County, Casey told The Center Square on Saturday that he\u2019s also hit the campaign trail for Brian Wrightson\u2019s bid for state Senate and Paige Cognetti\u2019s campaign for Congress in Pennsylvania\u2019s 8th U.S. House District.\u00a0<\/p>\n If Cognetti and Harvie are successful in unseating Republican incumbents Rob Bresnahan and Brian Fitzpatrick, respectively, Democrats would likely achieve a majority in the U.S. House.\u00a0<\/p>\n Despite Trump\u2019s presence in the Oval Office, Casey hopes it will not deter Democrats from pursuing legislation that they have campaigned on.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cLet’s say it’s a majority in the House and the Senate, both, people might say, well, they might pass an increase in the minimum wage, or they might pass a middle class tax cut, or the robust child tax credit that we had in 2021 that helped tens of millions of families, or a child tax care credit,\u201d Casey explained. \u201cThey might say that well, passing those, they’ll be vetoed by President Trump.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, they should pass them anyway,\u201d Casey continued. \u201cBecause I think they have to use, I hope, they would use the majority to pass legislation out of the House or Senate or both, and put those issues in front of people to demonstrate that we got the message that costs are important, that families are paying too much for gas and groceries, housing, healthcare, and that we’re ready to help them.\u201d<\/p>\n With Casey back on the campaign trail and Shapiro barnstorming the state<\/a> in his push for a second term, another Pennsylvania Democrat has noticeably been absent: U.S. Sen. John Fetterman.<\/p>\n The first-term senator has increasingly found himself at odds with his fellow Democrats on several issues and has touted his collaboration with Republican U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick.\u00a0<\/p>\n McCormick, on the other hand, has endorsed Garrity\u2019s campaign<\/a> for governor. And, he has hit the trail for Republicans in other states. Recently, McCormick joined U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler<\/a> in New York for a campaign event and is reportedly scheduled to join Mike Rogers<\/a> in Michigan for an event as he runs for U.S. Senate.\u00a0<\/p>\n Casey has not hinted that he\u2019s interested in running for office again, but when asked by The Center Square on Saturday if he would, he said, \u201cI\u2019m never ruling it out,\u201d while adding that he\u2019s keeping his focus on helping candidates win in 2026.<\/p>\n Shapiro, a potential presidential candidate, has also said his focus has remained on his bid for a second term, despite growing chatter about a run for higher office.\u00a0<\/p>\n Casey told The Center Square that he\u2019s heard that chatter, but said his focus also remained on the 2026 election.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cCall me the day after the election,\u201d Casey said with a smile, about Shapiro\u2019s potential bid for a higher office. \u201cHe’d be a great candidate.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut let’s wait till we get to the next cycle,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"(The Center Square) \u2013 With 10 days to go until the 2026 election, former U.S. Sen. 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