Pa. Republican Dave McCormick receives invitation to Senate orientation after Democrat Gallego wins Arizona

Pennsylvania Republican Dave McCormick was invited to the U.S. Senate freshman orientation just in time, after Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego won his Senate race in Arizona.

From Tuesday to Thursday this week, incoming senators will be shown the ins and outs of their new jobs. But as of Monday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) had not invited McCormick to the event. He also had not invited Gallego, a Democrat leading the Senate race in Arizona.

Schumer’s office said Tuesday morning that Gallego and McCormick have both been invited to attend orientation. The decision comes after the Associated Press determined that Gallego won his race late Monday night. The AP called McCormick’s race last week.

On Monday, a Schumer spokesperson said that McCormick had not been invited because there were more than 100,000 ballots left to be counted in Pennsylvania, and that the race had not been decided.

“As is custom, we will invite the winner once the votes are counted,” the spokesperson said.

Ballots were still being counted in the race Tuesday, and incumbent Democratic Sen. Bob Casey has not conceded the race.

Remaining ballots continue to be counted after winners are called in every election, whether it is close or not. But the process has earned extra attention in Pennsylvania this year because the race is close and Casey’s campaign has continued to argue the remaining ballots could swing the race.

“Across our Commonwealth, close to 7 million people cast their votes in a free and fair election,” Casey said in a statement on Tuesday. “Our county election officials will finish counting those votes, just like they do in every election. The American democratic process was born in Pennsylvania and that process will play out.”

Before he was invited, McCormick had already posted online Monday morning that he was looking forward to Senate orientation.