Casey says he won’t run for president in 2020
WASHINGTON — Pennsylvania’s senior U.S. senator won’t be among the crowded field of Democratic presidential hopefuls hitting the 2020 campaign trail.
U.S. Sen. Bob Casey said in a statement sent to reporters Friday morning that after public comments teasing a possible run for president, the lawmaker is not seeking higher office.
“After two months of considering it, I have concluded that the best way for me to fight for the America that so many of us believe in is to stay in the U.S. Senate and not run for the presidency in 2020,” Casey said.
Casey, 58, added he has “no doubt that our Democratic Party will nominate a candidate who can win Pennsylvania and the presidency.”
His decision is unsurprising, given that Casey has not made any of the moves to begin exploring a national campaign. Meanwhile, a handful of his fellow Democratic senators — including Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Kamala Harris of California, Cory Booker of New Jersey, and Sherrod Brown of Ohio — have launched exploratory committees and visited early primary states.
Casey won re-election to his third Senate term by 13 points in November. He’s highlighted his win as an example to other Democrats about building support in rural areas.
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