Today, Dave McCormick announced he was ending his candidacy to be the next U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania. He ends his campaign after incredible turnout and support  in the PA primary election and historic recount between him and Dr. Mehmet Oz. Dave is putting his full support behind Dr. Oz to defeat socialist John Fetterman in the fall. He gave a statement to supporters this evening thanking the people of Pennsylvania for all of their support during this primary. The statement can be watched HERE and is transcribed below:

“Thank you. What an honor it has been to campaign across this commonwealth, to meet thousands of Pennsylvanians and to be the voice of so many of you in this great campaign.

I had the best partner a guy could ever have this whole time –  She was my rock, my inspiration, a source of endless support. Dina, thank you.

I am so proud of what we accomplished and the campaign we ran. We saw historic turnout in the Republican primary, and I am grateful to the nearly 419,000 Pennsylvanians who placed their trust in me.

Along the way I met thousands of my fellow Pennsylvanians, who shared their hopes and concerns. I rekindled old friendships while starting many new ones. I was blessed to have the best volunteer force this election cycle, an incredible group of financial supporters, and the opportunity to work alongside the best campaign team. To each of you I am grateful: for your hard work, your friendship, your trust.

And we came so close to our goal. By the slimmest of margins, we trailed on election night, with thousands of votes left to count. With so much at stake, and a margin that was razor thin, we spent the last 17 days making sure every Republican vote is counted to ensure a result that reflects the will of Pennsylvania voters.

But it is now clear to me, with the recount largely complete, that we have a nominee. Today I called Mehmet Oz to congratulate him on his victory, and told him I will do my part to help unite Pennsylvanians behind his candidacy, so we defeat John Fetterman in the fall, and take back the Senate in 2023.

The good news now is Dina gets a lot more of me. The bad news is Democrats get a lot more of me too.

I'm not going anywhere.

This is my home. It’s where I was raised. It launched my dreams. And I'm going to help make sure that Pennsylvania has strong leadership in the years to come.

We'll have more to say about that in the future, but tonight is about coming together.

I learned a lot about the people of Pennsylvania in this campaign: you have limitless faith, you love your families and communities, and no matter how many times you get knocked down, you always get back up.

This campaign really came to a culmination on the day before the election. It was then that we had a rally in my hometown, at Bloomsburg High School. Everything that is great about Pennsylvania and America, I saw present in that high school atrium that day – the spirit of optimism and resilience, a belief in the American Dream, a sense of community where we come together for the greater good.

In that moment, it was all brought full circle for me: from everything Pennsylvania had given to me…to everything I am prepared to give back to my commonwealth and my country.

And even though I won’t be your nominee, I remain committed to giving back to Pennsylvania and to the United States of America.

America is in the midst of turbulent times, but with the right leadership, and the right policies, we can get this country on track again. We can create jobs and opportunity again. We can reassert America’s role in the world again.

That’s the future I am optimistic we can build, in a country whose best days lie ahead. Thank you, God bless you, and God bless Pennsylvania.”

Original source can be found here