ABSTRACT
The Pennsylvania Senate contest between Republican incumbent Rick Santorum and Democratic challenger Bob Casey, Jr., was one of the most closely watched Senate races of the 2006 election cycle. As the chair of the Republican Conference, Senator Santorum was the third-highest Republican Party leader. He was closely aligned with the Bush administration’s policies, especially on the war in Iraq. Could Santorum weather the storm of low presidential popularity and concern about Iraq and pull out a victory against a well-financed, moderate, and popular Democrat? The general election was marked by record highs in money raised and spent by the candidates, but the parties and interest groups remained relatively quiet. Santorum’s money advantage, however, was not enough to overcome the overwhelming negativity surrounding President Bush and the Republican Party in 2006. The end result was a 58.7 percent to 41.3 percent victory for Robert Casey, Jr.
