Casey says he isn’t thinking about Pennsylvania gubernatorial bid in 2022

Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) on Wednesday shot down a question about running for Pennsylvania governor in 2022, though he didn’t rule out a run further down the line.

“I am not. I’m very happy with the work I’m doing in the Senate,” Casey said during a Washington Post Live interview, asked if he was thinking about a 2022 gubernatorial run.

Casey, who was reelected to the Senate in 2018, added that in addition to being “busy” in the Senate he also wants to “make sure I can concentrate my work … to help Joe Biden succeed.”

Pennsylvania currently allows governors to serve two consecutive terms. Pennsylvania’s current governor, Democrat Tom Wolf, is in his second term. 

Pennsylvania is viewed as a battleground state and the governor’s office has swung between the parties in recent decades. 

Casey’s father, Bob Casey Sr., was previously governor of Pennsylvania, which has sparked speculation that the Democratic senator could try to follow in his late father’s political footsteps.  

Casey didn’t rule out an eventual run for the state’s top office, noting to The Washington Post that he just turned 60 and that older candidates have previously run and won. 

“There’s always inspiration out there,” Casey quipped.

Pennsylvania is already expected to have an open Senate seat in 2022, when Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) has said he will retire. Asked about the open Senate seat, Casey sidestepped saying if the party should nominate more of a centrist Democrat.  

“It’s wide open now. There will be a number of contenders,” Casey said.