BETHLEHEM, Pa. — U.S. Sen. Bob Casey will appear at a pro-choice rally at Bethlehem Rose Garden on Saturday as part of a statewide campaign tour promoting voting rights, women's rights and workers' rights.
Casey's campaign team announced that the three-term Democratic incumbent will kick off a five-day swing across Pennsylvania with stops in Philadelphia and Allegheny, Erie, Lehigh and Mercer counties.
The trip is intended to be a second leg of similar campaign tour that saw Casey visit Wilkes-Barre, Bethlehem and State College the week of his uncontested primary in April.
“The upcoming anniversary of the Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v. Wade is a stark reminder of the fights that need to be won for the Commonwealth and the country, including the critical fight to protect our rights and freedoms."Tiernan Donohue, Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pennsylvania, Campaign Manager
“The upcoming anniversary of the Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v. Wade is a stark reminder of the fights that need to be won for the Commonwealth and the country, including the critical fight to protect our rights and freedoms," Casey Campaign Manager Tiernan Donohue said in a news release.
Casey's Lehigh Valley stop will be at Rally the Valley for Women's Choice, a rally and march organized by the grassroots progressive group Lehigh Valley For All.
The event will begin at the Rose Garden in Bethlehem at 2:30 p.m. with a planned march to the Hill-to-Hill Bridge.
Lehigh Valley For All is encouraging attendees to bring New Years Eve-style noise makers, donate feminine hygiene products and to dress as their favorite powerful woman.
Candidates expected to attend
Many of the Democratic candidates on the November ballot at the federal and state levels are expected to be in attendance — including Casey; U.S. Rep. Susan Wild, D-Lehigh Valley; attorney general candidate Eugene DePasquale; and state representative candidates Meriam Sabih and Stephanie Rafes, according to the group's website.
Casey is locked in a contested campaign against Republican challenger David McCormick, an Army veteran and billionaire former hedge fund executive.
With Pennsylvania considered a battleground state, political observers across the country have said the race could determine control of the Senate.
The Lehigh Valley area is a swing region is relatively close to Casey's hometown of Scranton and plays an outsized role in statewide elections.Election data
Democrats currently control a slim 51-49 majority in the chamber.
Casey has been a regular visitor to the Lehigh Valley, touting how the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is investing in local road projects, promoting the region as a hotbed for innovation and joining President Joe Biden during his stop in Emmaus.
It likely doesn't hurt that the swing region is relatively close to his hometown of Scranton and plays an outsized role in statewide elections.
McCormick has made face time with local voters, too. The GOP candidate appeared with U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, during arally at Lehigh Valley Sporting Clays in North Whitehall Township in April where he blamed Casey's lack of leadership for rising crime rates, high inflation and the open border.
Days later, Casey swatted back at McCormick in Bethlehem, saying his challenger would try to undo critical cost saving efforts Casey was worked on, including passing a $35 cap on insulin and his efforts to fight price gauging.
