U.S. Sen. Bob Casey Jr. easily won a third term in office on Tuesday, defeating Republican challenger U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta of Hazleton.
Most networks called the race for Casey shortly after polls closed. Casey won 56 percent of the vote statewide and 57 percent in Centre County
Casey held huge leads in polls and campaign funds leading up to Election Day, and on the campaign trail he, decried the influence of special interests and placed a heavy focus on health care access and protection for pre-existing conditions.
Also on the ballot Tuesday were Libertarian candidate Dale Kerns Jr. and Green candidate Neal Gale.
Barletta aligned himself closely with President Donald Trump, who won Pennsylvania in 2016 and encouraged Barletta to run against Casey. Trump and Vice President Mike Pence visited Pennsylvania multiple times to campaign for Barletta.
Casey, a former state auditor general and treasurer, was first elected to the Senate in 2006 when he defeated Republican incumbent Rick Santorum. In 2012, he became the first Pennsylvania Democrat to win a second Senate term since 1962.
