History repeats as another Casey enters Pennsylvania political life
In 1995 a 35-year-old Scranton lawyer set out to follow his father into Pennsylvania's auditor general's office. He went a good deal further.
As printed in the Celtic Mirror, July 1995
The voice is hauntingly familiar. The mannerisms are identical. And the arching eyebrows (or eyebrow) are unmistakable.
Everything about Robert Casey Jr. - his walk, his talk, his ideas - resembles his father, the former governor. The resemblance is so strong that an obvious question is: Are there any differences between Casey and his dad?
"Ummm, none that come to mind," said the young Casey after a couple of minutes pondering the question.
Casey, a 35-year-old lawyer, wants to be the state auditor general, a job his dad held from 1969-77. The elder Casey is credited with modernizing the auditor general's office. He also fostered a reputation for good government, using the post as a springboard for the governorship.
The younger Casey, called Bobby in many political circles, credits his dad's tenure as auditor general for sparking his interest in the job.
"I saw from his service how effective he was, how relevant he made that office," Casey said.
Casey, who held a reception at this spring's State Democratic Committee meeting, is trying to convince party leaders that he's the candidate to support in the 1996 election.
He should have plenty of competition. Senate Minority Leader Robert Mellow of Lackawanna County, Rep. Bill Lloyd of Somerset County and former state Labor and Industry Secretary Tom Foley have all been named as possible candidates.
Some Democrats may not welcome the son of Casey with open arms.
Many of the party's activists are still smarting over the former governor's snub of Lt. Gov. Mark Singel and U.S. Sen. Harris Wofford in last year's races.
"Truthfully, I believe his reception is going to be cool because of Bob Sr. and his not supporting the party's candidates," said Pierson Jones, chairman of the Dauphin County Democrats.
The elder Casey, a staunch anti-abortion politician, did not agree with Singel's and Wofford's abortion-rights position, so kept quiet during the election campaign. Many political observers say they believe the popular governor's silence hurt his fellow Democrats.
The younger Casey downplayed both the competition and lack of support among some party officials. In the past several weeks, Casey has been on the phone trying to find financial supporters for his campaign. He said the response has been good.
The civil lawyer also has been brushing up on the duties of auditor general, spending his free time reading the state statutes dealing with the job.
"Elections aren't only about raising money and campaigning," Casey said. "You should be ready to assume the duties of office."
Casey said he's modeled his political philosophies after his father. He wants to be considered pro-government, yet fiscally conservative. He also wants to be considered a friend of the working-class, traditional Democratic voter.
"Taxpayers are electing somebody to make sure their money is being spent properly," Casey said, adding that he believes government can improve people's lives.
Like his father, Casey said he is opposed to abortion rights. However, the younger Casey downplayed his role in any future battles over the divisive issue.
"The job I'm running for has specific duties," he said. "None, I can see, impact upon abortion."
That could turn out to be the only difference between dad and son.
Where the son went
He got the job. Bob Casey Jr. won the auditor general's race in 1996 and again in 2000, holding his father's old office from 1997 to 2005. In 2002 he ran for governor and lost the Democratic primary to Ed Rendell, 56.5 percent to 43.5. He was elected state treasurer in 2004.
Then the bigger climb. In 2006 he beat the Republican incumbent, Rick Santorum, 58.7 percent to 41.3, for a seat in the U.S. Senate. Pennsylvania re-elected him in 2012 and 2018. From 2021 he chaired the Senate's Special Committee on Aging. In November 2024 he lost to the Republican Dave McCormick by about 0.22 percentage points, and he left the Senate on 3 January 2025. Later that year he joined the University of Scranton as a public service advisor.
His father did not live to see the Senate years. Robert P. Casey, auditor general from 1969 to 1977 and governor from 1987 to 1995, died in Scranton on 30 May 2000, aged 68. His name is fixed in constitutional law by Planned Parenthood v. Casey, the 1992 Supreme Court case over Pennsylvania's Abortion Control Act. The party feud this story mentions had a history too: at the 1992 Democratic National Convention the governor was refused a speaking slot to argue for an anti-abortion plank.
Which brings us back to the last line of Sean Connolly's piece. For years the son ran and voted as a pro-life Democrat. His record shifted during the 2010s, and in 2022 he came out for writing abortion rights into law. In 1995 the one difference between father and son was supposed to be the job description. Twenty-seven years later it was the issue itself.
Questions readers ask
When was Bob Casey Jr. auditor general of Pennsylvania?
Bob Casey Jr. was elected Pennsylvania auditor general in 1996 and re-elected in 2000, serving from 1997 to 2005. His father, Robert P. Casey, had held the same office from 1969 to 1977 before becoming governor. The son then served as state treasurer from 2005 to 2007 before moving to the U.S. Senate.
Who beat Bob Casey in 2024?
Republican Dave McCormick defeated Bob Casey Jr. in Pennsylvania's November 2024 Senate race by roughly 0.22 percentage points. Casey had held the seat since beating Rick Santorum in 2006, and he left office on 3 January 2025. Later in 2025 he joined the University of Scranton as a public service advisor.
Is Bob Casey Jr. pro-life?
For most of his career Casey described himself as pro-life, like his father, Governor Robert P. Casey. His Senate voting record moved toward abortion rights during the 2010s, and in 2022 he fully reversed his earlier position and backed codifying abortion rights into law. In 1995 he told this magazine the auditor general's job had nothing to do with the issue.
What is Planned Parenthood v. Casey?
Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey was a 1992 Supreme Court case over Pennsylvania's Abortion Control Act, with Governor Robert P. Casey, Bob Casey Jr.'s father, as the named defendant. On 29 June 1992 the court upheld the law's restrictions except spousal notification, while affirming the abortion right recognised in Roe v. Wade.
