A pro-Dave McCormick Super PAC is launching an advertisement highlighting the Pennsylvania Republican Senate candidate’s service in Operation Desert Storm and status as his company commander’s “most trusted officer.”
The Keystone Renewal PAC released the ad “Mission” on Wednesday as part of a nearly $4 million ad buy. The video is a testimonial from Tim Walsh, who served as the 82nd Airborne Division company commander. He speaks extremely highly of the Pennsylvania native in the video, pointing to McCormick’s leadership qualities.
“Our mission was to cross into Iraq, to destroy enemy minefields and weapons. One wrong step and people died,” Walsh says at the top of the ad. “Dave McCormick was my most trusted officer.”
“His leadership was critical in accomplishing our mission and bringing our men home safely. Dave was awarded the Bronze Star, and I was proud to pin it on him,” Walsh added. “I trusted Dave with my life and my soldiers’ lives. Pennsylvania can trust Dave McCormick in the U.S. Senate.”
The video includes images of then-First Lt. McCormick and his fellow soldiers during their service.
McCormick, a West Point graduate, retired from the Army with the rank of captain before attending Princeton University, where he earned his Ph.D in international relations. He went on to serve in the Bush Administration as undersecretary of Treasury and deputy national security adviser.
He also spent time in the private sector as CEO of world-renowned investment firm Bridgewater Associates before running for political office. The Republican nominee is squaring off with Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA), one of the most vulnerable Democrats up for reelection this cycle, marking a prime pick-up opportunity for the GOP.
The latest polling shows a tight race between McCormick and Casey among likely voters with just over five months until the November 5 election. A New York Times/Philadelphia Inquirer/Siena College poll published May 13 found Casey at 46 percent and McCormick at 44 percent. Another ten percent were either undecided or refused to respond. The poll sampled 1,023 likely voter respondents from April 28-May 7, and the margin of error was ± 3.6 percentage points, per the Times.
