(WHTM) - U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) said this week he believes Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro "would be a great running mate" for Vice President Kamala Harris, who was formally nominated by the Democratic Party on Friday.
During an interview with Dennis Owens on This Week in Pennsylvania, Casey said he selfishly hopes Shapiro is Harris' running mate, as he and the Governor would be on the same ballot this November, potentially leading to increased Democratic support in the state.
Casey says Shapiro "would strengthen our whole ticket, no question."
"But," Casey added, "I think the more important consideration, though, is can he do the job if he had to do that job at a moment's notice, and I think he'd be prepared to do either job and we'll see what the Vice President decides, but Governor Shapiro would be a very strong candidate."
Some nationally felt the nomination of Harris was rushed after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race in July. Casey believes Harris was a "consensus candidate" and the best candidate to beat Donald Trump going into November's election.
"I think that because of the compressed timeframe that we had to make, as a party, make a decision," said Casey. "But it wasn't as if it was a group of people who got in a room and decided it. It was really once she announced her candidacy, then anyone had a chance to oppose her and as it turned out she didn't have any opposition."
Prior to Biden dropping out of the race, Casey had said he believed the president would make whatever decision is best for the country.
"It was an exceedingly difficult decision for any public official but especially if you're a sitting president to make a decision to move on," said Casey, but said ultimately Biden's decision was what's "best for the country."
Casey himself is in a heated Senate race against Republican Dave McCormick. The two have traded blows over the airways on the border, the economy, and energy. A major issue in Pennsylvania is fracking, something Harris once said she would support banning.
"I have a long record of supporting natural gas extraction, also known as fracking," said Casey.
The McCormick team has also hit Casey on his voting record, saying he votes with the Biden-Harris administration 98% of the time.
"I've had a number of disagreements with the Administration," countered Casey, "sometimes on energy-related issues, whether it was LNG (Liquified Natural Gas), the exports of LNG. Whether it was instances on energy policy or foreign policy. We've had debates about the Middle East where I've been in one place, the administration has been in another."
Casey also called his third term a "bonanza of delivering" for residents, including funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the American Rescue Plan.
"Roads and bridges and high-speed internet for communities," said Casey. "Fulton County is about the most Republican county in a presidential year, because of my work that county is gonna have $7.5 million for high-speed internet."
Casey says priorities should he be elected to a fourth term will include voting rights, women's rights, and worker's rights.
"And on all three of those issues, (Dave McCormick) and I have diametrically opposed positions," said Casey.