Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., on Thursday conceded the race for Pennsylvania's Senate seat to his Republican opponent, Dave McCormick.
NBC News projected McCormick's win in the hotly contested battleground state race shortly after Casey's concession, further padding the GOP's newly won Senate majority.
"I just called Dave McCormick to congratulate him on his election to represent Pennsylvania in the United States Senate," Casey said in a video on X. "As the first count of ballot is completed, Pennsylvanians can move forward with the knowledge that their voices were heard, whether their vote was the first to be counted or the last."
McCormick thanked Casey in a statement, saying Casey has “dedicated his career to bettering our commonwealth.”
“I am so honored to represent every single citizen in Pennsylvania in the United States Senate and will fight for you every day,” he added.
The slim margin of the race had triggered an automatic recount, which Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt said Friday would be halted following Casey's concession.
McCormick had declared victory earlier this month after The Associated Press called the race for him. Casey, though, had held out hope as outstanding provisional ballots were counted, even as Republicans criticized him for waiting to concede.
Casey was also dealt a blow on Monday when the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ordered election officials in the state to stop counting mail-in ballots marked with the wrong date or missing dates from their outer envelopes.
With 99.8% of expected votes counted, McCormick had 48.8% of the vote to Casey's 48.6%. The candidates are separated by just over 16,000 votes.
McCormick's win adds to the majority Republicans won in the Senate this year, giving them a 53-47 seat advantage in the next Congress. His victory could make it easier for President-elect Donald Trump's Cabinet picks to be confirmed.
Republicans will control the White House and majorities in both the House and Senate starting in January.
