In Pennsylvania’s key Senate race, Bob Casey and Dave McCormick strike a balance with the top of the ticket

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Democratic Sen. Bob Casey and Republican Dave McCormick have each sought to strike a balance with the top of their ticket in Pennsylvania, a state that will play a key role in determining control of both the White House and the Senate.

The two Senate candidates have regularly appeared at rallies with Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump in the state and have eagerly highlighted policies on which they are in agreement. But they have also noted areas in which they diverge with their party’s presidential nominee in an effort to show independence in the narrowly divided state — and rebut attacks from their opponent.

It’s a dynamic that will likely be on display Thursday night, when Casey and McCormick meet for their first debate less than five weeks out from Election Day.

Unlike the Democratic Senate candidates running in the key states of Ohio, Montana and Arizona, Casey has campaigned closely with Harris as he seeks a fourth term. He has joined her at campaign events throughout the state and openly supported her policy proposals, like gutting the 60-vote threshold required to pass most legislation in the Senate.

Still, Casey, the son of a former two-term Pennsylvania governor who has comfortably won his past three races, expressed confidence that he could outperform Harris this fall, even as ticket-splitting has declined.

“I think when it comes down to the decision a voter has to make, they’re going to make a different decision based upon the office,” Casey told NBC News in an interview Sunday outside of Pittsburgh.

“They’re going to make a decision in the presidential race, where they’ll weigh a series of considerations. They’re also going to make a decision in my race that