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| Specter, Gillibrand Face Primary Challenges |
| 2009-07-02 |
| Al Franken's victory in the Minnesota Senate race gives Democrats a filibuster-proof majority in that chamber, and President Obama wants to keep it that way. That's why he has been asking Democrats across the country to refrain from challenging incumbent Democratic senators in primary races. But Representatives Joe Sestak and Carolyn Maloney are disregarding Mr. Obama's request. Both have announced their candidacy for 2010 Senate Democratic primaries. According to the Pennsylvanian Wayne Independent, Sestak said Wednesday that he will challenge Senator Arlen Specter, the Republican-turned-Democrat of Pennsylvania. Speculation about Sestak's bid has been circulating for some time now. Last week, he wrote in a fundraising e-mail saying that he believed Specter would not be reelected to the Senate and that it was "time for a change." "The leading polling organization in the state released its latest poll that finds a strong majority -- 57% -- of Pennsylvanians now believe Arlen Specter does not deserve to be reelected to the U.S. Senate; that it's time for a change!" Sestak wrote,as Politico reports. According to a newly released Rassmussen poll, Specter is leading Sestak 51 percent to 32 percent, although Sestak hadn't officially announced his candidacy at the time of the survey. Former potential challenger Joe Torsella has already endorsed Specter, saying that he will "work hard" on issues "most important to me and families across Pennsylvania," Talking Points Memo reports. Specter defected from the GOP in part because it would boost his chances for reelection. A spokeswoman for Carolyn Maloney, meanwhile, announced today that the New York representative would run against incumbent New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, the Associated Press reports. "She's definitely decided to run," a senior adviser to Maloney told the New York Daily News According to the AP, a statement by Maloney's chief strategist Paul Blank says that the representative feels New York needs a "strong, experienced and independent leader." Blank also says Maloney will make the announcement herself in two weeks. A recent Quinnipiac University poll shows Maloney leading Gillibrand among Democrats 27 percent to 23 percent with 44 percent undecided, CNN reports. Gillibrand was appointed to the Senate by New York governor David Paterson to fill the seat vacated by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 Is Sestak likely to run against Specter from the right? I don't know him, he's not from 'round these parts. If he does, he's probably got my primary vote. No promises about the general. Depends on whether Ridge pisses me off more than he already has these last ten years or so. |
| Posted by: Mitch H. 2009-07-02 16:35 |