Mr. Casey wrote on Twitter that he will undergo surgery in the coming months, but expects to make a full recovery.
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Pennsylvania’s senators on Tuesday at the Capitol: Bob Casey, left, and John Fetterman, who was elected in November.
Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, who is part of Democrats’ razor-thin edge in the chamber and represents a swing state that has played an outsize role in the past two presidential elections, said on Thursday that he had prostate cancer but expected to make a full recovery.
Mr. Casey, 62, who is in his third term in the Senate, shared details about his recent diagnosis on Twitter, writing that the cancer was detected last month.
“While this news came as a shock, I can report that I have an excellent prognosis, as well as the benefit of exceptional medical care and the unwavering support of my family,” Mr. Casey wrote.
He will have surgery in the coming months, he added.
“I am confident that my recommended course of treatment will allow me to continue my service in the 118th Congress with minimal disruption, and I look forward to the work ahead,” he said.
He did not elaborate about how advanced the cancer was or disclose any types of additional treatment.
Democrats gained an outright majority in the Senate in November’s midterm elections, when they defied forecasts of a “red wave.” When Senator Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona decided last month to leave the party and become an independent, her move was not expected to alter the party’s power in the chamber.
Previously, the Senate had been split, with Democrats reliant on Vice President Kamala Harris to cast the tiebreaking vote.
On the same day that Mr. Casey revealed his cancer diagnosis, Senator Debbie Stabenow, the senior Democratic senator from Michigan and a member of the party leadership, announced that she would not seek a fifth term next year.
In 2024, Democrats must defend 20 seats in the Senate, including Mr. Casey’s, which had already been circled by Republicans as a priority in what will be a presidential election year. Three independents who caucus with Democrats are also up for re-election next year, when Republicans will have 10 seats to defend.
David McCormick, a former hedge fund executive who lost last year’s Republican primary against the celebrity physician Mehmet Oz for Pennsylvania’s other Senate seat, has been mentioned as a potential challenger to Mr. Casey.
Democrats are coming off a banner year in the pivotal state, where they held the governor’s office and Lt. Gov. John Fetterman defeated Dr. Oz in the November election for Senate, flipping what had been a Republican seat.
Mr. Fetterman has faced his own health challenges, which were intensely scrutinized in his nationally watched race after he had a stroke last May.
Source: nytimes.com
