Dave McCormick is invited to Senate orientation

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

From Tuesday to Thursday this week, accepted senators will be able to learn the secrets of their up-to-date job. However, as of Monday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (R-N.Y.) had not invited McCormick to the event. He also did not invite Gallego, the Democrat leading the Arizona Senate race.

Schumer’s office said Tuesday morning that Gallego and McCormick had been invited to an orientation meeting. The decision came after the Associated Press determined Gallego had won his race on Monday night. The AP called McCormick’s race last week.

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

“Traditionally, we will invite the winner after the votes are counted,” the spokesman said.

Votes were still being counted in Tuesday’s race, and incumbent Democratic Sen. Bob Casey had not entered the race.

Remaining ballots continue to be counted after winners are determined in each election, whether it is close or not. But the process has drawn particular attention in Pennsylvania this year as the race is already close and the Casey campaign continues to argue that remaining ballots could determine the fate of the race.

“Across the Commonwealth, nearly 7 million people cast ballots in free and fair elections,” Casey said in a statement Tuesday. “Our county election officials will finish counting these votes as they do during every election. The American democratic process was born in Pennsylvania, and that process will continue.”

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