Sestak set to announce his U.S. Senate run against Arlen Specter

Written by: Kevin Shaw on Aug 3, 2009 11:21 AM EDT

Linked to groups: Gettysburg Area DFA Meetup, Philly for Change, Lower Bucks for Democracy, Lower Merion Grassroots, PA for Democracy

by LAURA VECSEY, Of The Patriot-News

Monday August 03, 2009, 10:56 AM

After three months of unofficial campaigning against Arlen Specter, U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak will make a major campaign announcement Tuesday. It is expected that Sestak will make official his bid to upset Specter in a 2010 Democratic primary for U.S. Senate.

Sestak will make his announcement at 8:30 a.m. at the Herbert W. Best VFW Post in Folsom, PA. The event will be streamed live online at www.joesestak.com and followed by press conferences in Pittsburgh and Johnstown.

On Wednesday, Sestak will be in Harrisburg and Scranton, before finishing as a featured studio guest on The Colbert Report, the Comedy Central show that airs 11:30 p.m., with replays on Thursday at 2:00 a.m.,9:30 a.m., 2:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.

Sestak, 57, is a former U.S. Navy admiral in his second term in Congress. Sestak has taken exception to the move by Democratic Party officials who 'anointed' Specter for re-election and has made a case for expanding the choice for Democrats in the 2010 primary.

Sestak's unofficial candidacy has apparently had an impact on Specter, the 79-year-old former Republican. Since switching parties on April 28 and facing the potential showdown against Sestak, Specter has voted almost entirely along Democratic Party lines.

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