Candidates Must Convince PA Voters They’re Defenders of Social Security

We’re in the home stretch of the 2024 election and Pennsylvanians across our state are paying increasingly closer attention to what’s being said on the campaign trail. November 5th is fast approaching, and it’s going to be critical for the candidates to stay on the right side of issues that are important to our state’s voters. Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are each hoping to become the White House’s newest resident come January with the help of Pennsylvania voters, as we are one of the key swing states in this year’s presidential election. But we also have one of the closest U.S. Senate races in the country. The nation will be watching as Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Casey and his Republican opponent, businessman David McCormick, battle it out over these final days over the right to serve the Keystone State.

While this has been a more unique election year than most, with the Democrats changing presidential nominees this summer, the issues that are important to voters in our state and across the nation remain largely the same. Families are worried about the inflation that’s made it harder to pay their bills and put food on the table. Americans are concerned about national security, with China and Russia becoming more emboldened in recent years. And issues like job creation and taxes remain top of mind for voters across our nation. While these are the issues typically in the headlines and on our televisions, Social Security is among the top issues that will help decide the 2024 election. According to a recent poll, 84% of this group said that the candidates’ stance on Social Security is going to help decide their vote this fall. If both Trump and Harris want to persuade one of the most motivated voter demographics in Pennsylvania – the 50+ age group – they must pledge to preserve this program.

Social Security continues to come up time and time again on the 2024 campaign trail for presidential and Senate candidates alike. Trump brought up Social Security and the need to protect it just minutes into the first presidential debate back in June. We heard a similar sentiment from the former president during his keynote address at the Republican National Convention. And Harris has also been on the right side of this vital program thus far, promising to protect Social Security in her first address as the Democratic nominee, as well as at the Democratic National Convention.

And similar to the presidential campaign trail, our state’s Senate candidates are making sure to acknowledge Social Security’s significance when speaking to voters. Casey has been a supporter of the program as chairman of the Senate Aging Committee, but his opponent has recently made comments strongly in favor of protecting Social Security as well. David McCormick criticized Congress for “not living up to its promises” with Social Security, in likely a jab to Casey’s track record on the issue while in office. He then went on to say, “people on Social Security are the ones that are getting hurt the most by the inflation, because they are on fixed income … we can’t touch Social Security for our elders.” But with a race as tight as this one, it’s going to be critical that both Senator Casey and David McCormick watch every word they say when it comes to Social Security, a topic that holds such importance for Pennsylvania voters.

Election Day will be here before we know it, and Harris, Trump, Casey, and McCormick have but a few remaining days to convince Keystone State voters that they will be the strongest defenders of this program that so many hard-working Americans rely on. It could be the difference between winning and losing on Election Day.