Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, who endorsed McCormick last week, headlined a rally for the candidate on Tuesday at a skeet shooting facility near Allentown that doubled as McCormick's first public campaign appearance.
"Pennsylvania could very well decide this entire election," Cruz said. "The Senate is in the balance. I believe if we win in Pennsylvania, we will defeat Chuck Schumer. And if we lose in Pennsylvania, I think in all likelihood, Schumer remains the majority leader."
The national party is officially neutral, and party officials don’t expect Trump to make another endorsement in the race any time soon. McCormick is able to draw high-level support through his experience in Washington as a top official in President George W. Bush's administration and through the influence of his wife, Dina Powell, a former deputy national security adviser in the Trump administration. He is also well known in high finance as the former CEO of Bridgewater Associates, one of the world’s largest hedge funds.
Three, he is relatively unknown to voters, especially considering that his primary rivals include Jeff Bartos, the GOP's endorsed candidate for lieutenant governor in 2018, and Mehmet Oz, the heart surgeon, wellness author and TV personality who carries unrivaled name recognition as the host of daytime TV’s "Dr. Oz Show.