Casey wins second U.S. Senate term, vows to help middle class

Democrat Bob Casey outlasted well-funded Republican Tom Smith to win another six-year term as U.S. Senator form Pennsylvania.  His win helped the Democrats maintain control of the upper house of Congress.

 

Speaking at his victory celebration in Scranton, Casey told supporters he wants to go back to Washington to fight for the middle class.

“Our priority must be middle-income families and making sure that even as we are giving them a measure of peace of mind as we go forward that we are focused on bring Democrats and Republicans together to avoid this ‘fiscal cliff’ that is coming,” he said. “I know we can. I know we must and know both parties understand that we have to work together to get that done.”

The ‘fiscal cliff’ returns to the threatened mass cuts in defense and domestic spending scheduled to be triggered automatically if the lame-duck Congress and President Obama don’t reach a deficity-reduction deal by the end of the year.

Casey said his priority will be to help those who have been struggling the most during this difficult economy.

“The job of putting this country back to work is not yet done and as a member of the United States Senate who has just been re-elected I know it’s going to be my No. 1 obligation.”

Casey beat Smith, a coal magnate from Western Pennsylvania, with nearly 54 percent of the vote. Polls in the race had tightened in the last weeks of October, leading some to think the little-known Smith had a chance at an upset. Smith spent $17 million of his own money on the race.