Pennsylvania’s hard-fought U.S. Senate race is being extended potentially another two weeks.

With the contest between Democratic incumbent Bob Casey and Republican businessman Dave McCormick within 0.5 percentage point, the race is legally required to go to automatic recount under Pennsylvania law, Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt announced Wednesday.

McCormick led Casey 48.93% to 48.50%, according to unofficial returns as of Wednesday.

That translates to a lead of less than 30,000 votes.

The Pittsburgh businessman was declared the winner by The Associated Press on Friday. He attended Senate orientation in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday.

Casey, a three-term senator from Scranton, has not conceded and is calling for all votes to be counted.

There still are over 80,000 ballots left to adjudicate and count, mostly provisional ballots, according to Pennsylvania’s State Department.

Once counties finish counting their ballots, they must begin the recount no later than Nov. 20 and complete it by noon Nov. 26, said Schmidt.

Results will not be published until Nov. 27. The state department estimates the recount will cost taxpayers more than $1 million.

Elizabeth Gregory, a McCormick spokesperson, said the Republican’s lead is too great for Casey to overcome and added a recount would be a waste.

“Senator-elect McCormick’s lead is insurmountable, which the AP made clear in calling the race,” Gregory said. “A recount will be a waste of time and taxpayer money, but it is Sen. Casey’s prerogative. Senator-elect McCormick knows what it’s like to lose an election and is sure Sen. Casey will eventually reach the right conclusion.”

The Casey campaign referred TribLive to the Democrat’s statement Tuesday, in which he said he is staying in the race until all the votes are counted.

“Across our Commonwealth, close to 7 million people cast their votes in a free and fair election,” Casey posted to X. “The American democratic process was born in Pennsylvania, and that process will play out.”

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