Joe Sestak finishes three week tour
Monday, July 20th, 2009
This week Congressman Joe Sestak is wrapping up his 3 week tour of Pennsylvania's 67 counties. Sestak has been meeting and greeting voters across the Commonwealth, even though he has not officially announced he will run against new Democrat and longtime Senator Arlen Specter in the primary. Republican candidates are also lining up for that party's primary.
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If Sestak enters the race, he'll face a veteran lawmaker who has powerful political allies, including President Obama.
Political consultant Eliot Curson worked for Specter on his first Senate campaign. Curson says to beat Speter, Sestak could try to make the case that Specter is not a true Democrat, and that any Democrat could win the general election.
Cuson: Why do we need Arlen Specter? That's the kind of campaign he'll make. If any Democrat can win why not have someone who's a solid Democrat instead of a Democrat who might cross over. And Arlen says I've got experience, I've got leverage and I've proven I'm a Democrat.
Curson says the frontrunner for the GOP nomination, Pat Toomey, may get to watch a very contentious Democratic primary.