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Projected Pennsylvania Senate race winner, Republican Dave McCormick, has reportedly been excluded from the Senate orientation this week. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is withholding the invitation, citing that incumbent Democratic Senator Bob Casey has not conceded and there are still thousands of votes left to be counted. The Associated Press has already called the close race for McCormick, leading to a chorus of criticism from Republican senators.
Born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, McCormick is a former hedge fund executive and a veteran. He is currently leading by almost 40,000 votes. Despite this, Schumer's office maintains that with over 100,000 ballots left to be counted in Pennsylvania, the race has not been decided. According to the New York Post, McCormick told Fox News host Maria Bartiromo on Sunday, "Mathematically, there's no path for Senator Casey to win."
The decision to exclude McCormick from the orientation has sparked outrage among Senate Republicans. Sen. Rick Scott (R-Florida) called Schumer's move "disgusting," while Sen. John Thune (R-South Dakota) described it as "beyond unacceptable." The Washington Examiner reports that three GOP senators plan to grant McCormick entry to the building so he can be escorted to orientation, despite Schumer's decision.