When Donald Trump was reported to have won the 2024 election this past November, that fact was rightly at the forefront of much of the Bi-Co community’s minds, especially being in a pivotal state such as Pennsylvania. However, also significant was the fact that Republican David McCormick narrowly defeated incumbent Democrat Senator Bob Casey, leading by roughly 30,000 votes by the time the Associated Press called the race on November 7.
The 2024 election cycle was actually McCormick’s second bid for the U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania; he had lost to Trump-backed Dr. Mehmet Oz during the 2022 midterm elections. Consequently, Oz had lost to Democratic Senator John Fetterman. However, McCormick was heavily recruited to run again in 2024 by Pennsylvania Republicans, and retrospectively, this played out favorably for them.
McCormick is distinct in that he is one of the wealthiest senators, yet this wealth comes with a lot of baggage. McCormick, who had lived in Connecticut since 2009 where he worked as a CEO of a hedge fund, Bridgewater Associates, has faced accusations of being an outsider who is exploiting Pennsylvania for political gains. As an important player in Bridgewater Associates, he has also faced accusations of buying shares in Chinese companies which were deemed by the federal government as being a part of Beijing’s military and surveillance industries.
Senator McCormick has stated that his priorities are securing the U.S. border, enhancing energy production in Pennsylvania, addressing the fentanyl crisis, and reducing the cost of living. McCormick is also a Trump-backed candidate who shares similar notions of restricting abortion access.
As members of the Bi-Co community, we are directly impacted by the legislation passed in Pennsylvania. Many of us are overwhelmed and appalled by the political situation in the U.S., and it is easy to want to disconnect. However, I urge our community to pay attention to what our representatives are doing – especially the local and state-level actions that seldom make national news.
On that note, one of the most pressing concerns right now is dismantling institutions that protect and nurture Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs, especially concerning immigration status. Even though both colleges in the Bi-Co have reiterated the importance of DEI programs (read Bryn Mawr College’s mission statement here), some government members seek to uproot such initiatives.
McCormick is actively contributing to the tightening of policy surrounding immigration. In his first months of being senator, McCormick served as a co-sponsorer of a bill that would require “U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to take into custody certain aliens who have been charged in the United States with a crime that resulted in the death or serious bodily injury of another person, and for other purposes.”
Personally, I am extremely concerned that one of the people who is representing the state I am living and studying in is in support of policy that would restrict the rights of certain individuals to exist in this country.
It can often feel hopeless going through day-to-day activities with an understanding that the government officials who form and implement policy are not acting in the best interest of the population that they are supposed to represent. On the other hand, we must keep resisting in any way we can – no matter how small it may seem.
It is absolutely vital that those who have the capacity to do so make our voices heard. We must continue to keep track of how our representatives are voting and what bills they are initiating – websites such as GovTrack.US are useful in this respect.
Along the lines of following the voting patterns of elected officials, we have the power to directly contact our representatives and express our discontent. For Bi-Co readers, Dave McCormick can be contacted here. Those who prefer to speak on the phone can also call their representative. 5Calls.org is a resource that provides templates and phone numbers to guide users through calling legislators about key issues.
Lastly, we must grant ourselves and those around us grace. Existing in a community that is bounded by shared values is instrumental in times of uncertainty, such as now. Contributing to a brighter future goes beyond politics, and we should take care of each other and make whatever efforts we can toward a more positive, kinder world.
