Well into his second bid for a U.S. Senate seat, Democratic former congressman Joe Sestak found out Friday he will again have to go without the endorsement of the Scranton Democrat who’s already a senator.
Sen. Bob Casey endorsed former state environmental secretary Katie McGinty, viewing her as the party’s best chance of beating his colleague, Republican Sen. Pat Toomey.
“Katie McGinty will fight tirelessly for Pennsylvania families, and I’m proud to endorse her in the race for U.S. Senate,” Mr. Casey said in a statement.
He praised her record of service in President Bill Clinton’s administration, as secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection under Gov. Ed Rendell and as Gov. Tom Wolf’s chief of staff.
He praised for committing to fight to ensure equal pay for female employees, raise the minimum wage, make child care affordable for more families, increase funding for early childhood education and protect Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.”
Mr. Casey said he decided to endorse now because Ms. McGinty has begun airing television commercials and voters are starting to pay attention to primary election politics.
“The challenges we face this year and the likelihood of getting a Democratic victory in November is too significant to stay on the sidelines,” he said.
In endorsing Ms. McGinty, Mr. Casey joins Mr. Rendell, Mr. Wolf and may other top Democrats in getting behind her candidacy. Six years ago, he, Mr. Rendell and other major Democrats endorsed U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, who switched to the party after decades as a Republican. Mr. Sestak defeated Mr. Specter surprisingly easily, but narrowly lost to Mr. Toomey
Hours before the endorsement, Mr. Sestak issued a statement that sounded like he was comfortable running without Mr. Casey’s backing.
“I have had no politician’s endorsement in this campaign,” he said. “With Bob Casey’s endorsement of my primary opponent today, it completes an all-inclusive rejection by Washington, D.C.’s and Pennsylvania’s Democratic politicians of what I believe in, and stand for – people, above all else. My opponent may have the big names, but I’ve got mine.”
Ms. McGinty said she was honored to have the endorsement of “someone who I admire and would be privileged to work alongside.”
She said she was pleased with her fundraising and her campaign’s momentum.
“His endorsement today will propel us even further ahead,” he said. “This is a senator who is known and acknowledged as for his 100 percent dedication to nothing other than what’s in the best interests of the people of Pennsylvania. Today, we just get a big battery pack strapped to the back of the campaign that’s already been charging ahead at a pretty good clip.”
Mr. Casey denied he endorsed Ms. McGinty because Mr. Sestak didn’t drop out against Mr. Specter.
“You make the decision based upon the record of the individual, what their candidacy stands for and what they would do if they’re elected,” he said. “This is a 100 percent validation of Katie’s candidacy and her record.”
Mr. Casey said he called Mr. Sestak and Braddock Mayor John Fetterman to let them know he would endorse Ms. McGinty. He did not say he called the other Democratic candidate, Joseph Vodvarka of Allegheny County.
— BORYS KRAWCZENIUK
↧
Snubbed again — Sestak finds out Casey backs McGinty
↧