In a move that is raising eyebrows, New Mexico Sen. Ben Ray Luján’s campaign has issued a fundraising email supporting Pennsylvania Democrat Bob Casey, who continues to challenge his recent Senate election defeat.
The November 15, 2024, email, framed as a rallying call to ensure “every Pennsylvanian’s voice is heard,” urges supporters to split contributions between Casey and Luján to fund recount efforts in a tight Pennsylvania Senate race.
It reads, “Help us fund the fight in Pennsylvania’s critical Senate race. All eyes are on us, and we can’t back down from this fight. Split $5 between Bob Casey and Ben Ray Luján now to fuel our efforts.” Another November 12, 2024, email was sent to Luján’s list from Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), who had previously made a similar request.
“I’m not $#!ting you when I say this is the most important race in the country now. We cannot afford to lose another Senate seat. Bob Casey MUST be re-elected to stand up to Republicans and Donald Trump in the Senate,” yet another November 13, 2024, email read, signed by far-left Democrat strategist Bob Carville.
The race was called for Republican McCormick on November 7, 2024, by the left-leaning Associated Press.
This has drawn criticism from some who allege Democrats are attempting to undermine the election’s legitimacy by pushing to count ballots deemed invalid under state law.
With the Associated Press already calling the race for Republican Sen.-elect Dave McCormick, Casey trails by 26,000 votes—a deficit that triggered an automatic recount under Pennsylvania law. However, ongoing disputes center on the validity of thousands of mail-in ballots lacking required signatures or dates, which the Pennsylvania Supreme Court previously ruled must be excluded. Democratic officials in counties like Philadelphia and Montgomery have pushed back, arguing that such exclusions disenfranchise voters over clerical errors.
Bucks County Commissioner Diane Ellis-Marseglia exemplifies this defiance, stating, “I think we all know that precedent by a court doesn’t matter anymore in this country,” as she supported counting ballots that state law disqualifies. Meanwhile, Republican officials, including McCormick’s team, accuse Democrats of flouting legal precedent to “steal” the seat, prompting a series of lawsuits to ensure disqualified ballots are not counted.
For Luján, whose own reelection campaign is on the horizon, his backing of Casey has drawn scrutiny. Critics argue that by aligning himself with efforts they deem to undermine valid election outcomes, Luján risks being labeled as supporting an “election denier.” Luján previously campaigned with the election loser in September. Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley called the situation “left-wing election interference that undermines voter confidence,” while Democrats defend their stance as protecting fundamental voting rights.
Previously, Luján attempted to corner Trump on claims that there were vast anomalies in the 2024 election, blasting President-elect Trump for “attack[ing] the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election,” claiming he “undermine[d] the democratic process.”
“Our democracy faces clear and present dangers posed by Republican-led state legislatures across the country,” Luján said in a 2022 floor speech, claiming that voter ID laws curtail “democracy.”
Interestingly, in the same speech, he also noted, “And only one archaic parliamentary measure prohibits all this progress: the filibuster. The filibuster does not increase deliberation in this chamber; it does not incentivize compromise. It stands in the way of progress. So, while some claim that amending the filibuster would further this country’s division: I disagree.”
This comes as Democrats are poised to attempt to use the filibuster to try and stop President-elect Trump’s Cabinet nominees, and it interestingly could be un-“archaic” in his eyes now that he is no longer in the majority party.
The financial appeal sent to Luján’s supporters portrays the recount as a critical battle, but it may also signal strategic risks for the senator. With his 2026 reelection approaching, his support for a contested recount could shape perceptions of his political priorities at a sensitive time. According to the most recent political indexes available, New Mexico’s U.S. Senate race leans three points toward Democrats, which is prime for the taking by Republicans.