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Sestak: ‘I declare my candidacy’

FOLSOM—Congressman Joe Sestak officially entered the race for Senate Tuesday morning, ending his long march toward a primary showdown against Senator Arlen Specter next year and setting up what will be one of the most high-profile races in the country.

In a stirring, 17-minute speech to a small VFW hall packed with supporters here, Sestak was greeted with cheers when he finally, after months of political teasing, said “today, I declare my candidacy.” Chants of “Joe!” and “Give ‘em hell Joe!” swelled from the crowd with his wife at his side.

The 7th District Congressman didn’t mention Specter once, after attacking him for months. Instead, he talked about his upbringing and military service, issues of energy, health care and fiscal policy, and promised to work hard as a U.S. Senator.

“These problems, when I am your Senator, are not just going to disappear overnight,” Sestak said. “I can’t promise that. But what I can promise is you will have, working for you, the hardest working Senator.”

His announcement, to be followed by yet another publicity tour across the state, capped almost three months of speculation and made official a candidacy that was already all-but-certain. From the moment Specter defected to the Democrats in late April, Sestak had increasingly signaled he would challenge the longtime incumbent. He kept up the drumbeat during a three-week tour across the state last month, but wouldn’t say he was definitely running until Tuesday’s announcement.

Specter’s campaign had for weeks been critical of Sestak’s reticence to make his candidacy official, and reiterated that sentiment in a statement bashing its new opponent shortly after he announced.

“His months of indecisiveness on his candidacy raises a real question as to his competency to handle the tough rapid-fire decisions required of a Senator,” Specter campaign manager Christopher Nicholas said.

Later, Sestak told reporters that he wasn’t afraid of the steep hill he has to climb against the political heavyweight that is his opponent. Almost the entire state’s Democratic establishment, including Gov. Ed Rendell, is backing Specter. President Obama and Vice-President Joe Biden have also pledged to campaign for the longtime Republican.

“I love being the underdog,” Sestak said with a smile.

Cliff Wilson, the Delaware County Democratic Party chair and a Sestak ally, said traditional political organization wouldn’t be as important in such a high-profile race.

“I think that national attention will draw the crowds,” Wilson said. “”I really believe [Sestak] can win.”

In opening his speech, Sestak drew on an experience from his personal life to promise voters he could work hard. Referring to his wife Susan, he said: “Some of you might not know this, but I proposed to her two days after I met her, and she said yes—8 years later.

“I just want you to know, I can work very hard for one single yes vote,” he said.

Congressman Joe Sestak, wife Susan behind him, announces his candidacy for the Senate.

August 4, 2009 at 10:14 am

--Dan Hirschhorn

Tags: Arlen Specter, Joe Sestak

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