Swing-state Democrat Casey walks a fine line between his own campaign and turmoil surrounding Biden

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey has a fine line to walk.

He and other Democrats fighting to hang on to hotly contested Senate seats have seemed jittery about the turmoil surrounding President Joe Biden after his disastrous debate performance. In many cases they’re trying to minimize any damage to their own races by saying as little as possible about it in public.

But with control of the Senate on the line, the drama is an unavoidable and unwelcome development for Democrats. They are defending far more Senate seats than Republicans this year, including in the presidential swing states of Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Nevada and Arizona.

Incumbents in Republican-leaning Montana and Ohio appear nervous, too, and there’s an unexpected challenge in the Democratic stronghold of Maryland from former Republican Gov. Larry Hogan.

The turmoil surrounding Biden is especially delicate for Casey, long seen as one of the safest Democratic bets in battleground races. He has defended Biden, but in the halls of the Capitol this week, even Casey brushed aside questions about how Biden’s predicament might affect his race.

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