David McCormick airs ad with ‘former Democrats’ who have strong Republican ties

Pennsylvania Republican Senate candidate David McCormick released a campaign ad featuring “former Democrats” who have had ties to Republican campaigns for years.

New McCormick ad in #PASen about frustrated ex-Democrats features some who have been Rs for years already. One says she voted for Casey in 2018; by 2022 she was campaigning for Doug Mastriano pic.twitter.com/QMF0bBobCA

— David Weigel (@daveweigel) October 14, 2024

One of the people featured in the video is Sheila Armstrong, a former campaign staffer for McCormick’s 2022 primary opponent Dr. Mehmet Oz. Armstrong also has ties to McCormick’s campaign. Although she is reportedly not a paid staffer, Armstrong said she has offered to be a liaison for McCormick in Philadelphia.

Armstrong stirred controversy earlier this month when she reached out to the owner of a restaurant in Philadelphia to organize a campaign event for McCormick. However, Armstrong set up the event under the guise that it was for autism awareness, not a political event. Armstrong has also worked as the leader of Philadelphia’s Moms for Liberty chapter, a notorious far-right organization that focuses on education.

Another woman featured in the ad, Jamie Cohen Walker, campaigned for former Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano in 2022. Walker’s Facebook page also features a banner image urging people to vote for Republicans.

McCormick’s campaign did not immediately respond to an email request for comment.

McCormick is attempting to unseat incumbent Sen. Bob Casey (D) on Nov. 5. In 2018, Casey successfully defended his seat and won reelection by 657,589 votes. As Casey seeks his fourth term in the Senate, Cook Political Report recently shifted the race to a toss-up.