US Senate candidates argue over suspension of negative advertising

In the immediate aftermath of the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, candidates and campaign teams are considering how best to convey their messages and maintain civilized discourse in an era of political division.

In the U.S. Senate race between Democratic incumbent Bob Casey and Republican candidate Dave McCormick, there is still no formal agreement between the two sides on how to handle negative advertising amid heated emotions.

McCormick, who said he was almost onstage next to Trump when the shots rang out, had previously spoken at Saturday’s event in Butler earlier that day, appeared on CNBC on Monday morning and called on X (formerly known as Twitter) for a suspension of negative advertising between the two campaigns.

In light of the assassination attempt on President Trump in Butler, I agree with President Biden and suggest to the Senator @Bob_Casey we both stop our negative advertising.

This is the time to come together as Americans and recognize what makes our country and its people special…

— Dave McCormick (@DaveMcCormickPA) July 15, 2024

In the meantime, Casey’s campaign team had instructed television stations to temporarily run campaign ads on Saturday, shortly after the attack.

“On Saturday night following the shooting, the Casey campaign worked with the networks to temporarily halt advertising,” Maddy McDaniel, spokeswoman for Bob Casey for Senate, said in a statement. “The campaign will work in the coming days to resume communications with voters to inform Pennsylvania residents about Senator Casey’s record, his opponent’s record and the importance of this Senate race.”

McCormick’s campaign did not respond to requests for comment or details on the proposal to halt negative advertising or whether it has halted its television advertising. McCormick also wrote an editorial that appeared in Sunday’s Wall Street Journal, writing, “It’s time to stop the never-ending political polemics of extremists on both sides who believe that erasing their opponents is the only option… This is a political disease, and it is spreading. It does not manifest itself in just one party, and it cannot be fixed by one party alone.”

When McCormick appeared on television on Monday and called for a halt to negative advertising, several digital ads were active on his campaign’s Facebook page, while Casey’s remained suspended.