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Sestak saying he’ll run for Senate (UPDATED)

Congressman Joe Sestak (D-7) has been telling supporters that he plans to run for Senate, giving Senator Arlen Specter the primary challenge he and party leaders had hoped to avoid, Democratic sources confirmed Wednesday night.

Talking Points Memo first reported Wednesday afternoon that Sestak was privately signaling his intentions supporter. A Sestak spokesman confirmed to pa2010.com that the story was accurate, but was careful not to say he is definitely running, signaling that a formal announcement may not be imminent. Appearing on MSNBC’s The Ed Show shortly after the news broke: “My intentions are to get in this race, pending a finally family decision.” He said that decision would come in “the not too distant future.”

Sestak has been making noise about the race ever since Specter said he would switch parties last month. President Obama, Gov. Ed Rendell and other Democratic Party leaders are backing Specter, which led Joe Torsella to exit the race earlier this month.

But Sestak has remained a critic of Specter, and with more than $3 million in the bank, he could prove Specter’s only real obstacle to reelection. Specter is expected to have significantly more cash, and some analysts said Sestak would need to raise at least $10 million to mount a credible challenge. His hopes could hinge on mobilizing the brewing discontent with Specter as a Democratic standard-bearer, among both grassroots activists and party rank-and-file.

“I think we could have a real donnybrook of a contest, and I think it could get pretty tense and pretty difficult,” political scientist G. Terry Madonna said. “I would be shocked if it doesn’t take a nasty turn.

In a hand-written note obtained by TPM, Sestak wrote to a supporter, who’s name was redacted, that “I am writing you as especially dear supporters to let you know I intend to run for the U.S. Senate…my candidacy’s credibility will have much to do with my fundraising success by the 30 June FEC filing deadline at the end of this quarter.”

Specter’s campaign manager could not be reached Wednesday evening, but without a public announcement from Sestak, he declined to comment to TPM. Republican Pat Toomey, no doubt Specter’s fiercest critic, welcomed Sestak to the race.

May 27, 2009 at 5:06 pm

--Dan Hirschhorn

Tags: Arlen Specter, Joe Sestak

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