If the Democrats intend to reclaim Sen. Pat Toomey’s seat in 2016, they’ll need one thing for sure: a strong candidate.
At least that’s what former Gov. Ed Rendell told The Washington Post about the upcoming election season.
“Candidates matter,” Rendell said. “The lesson of 2010 is that even in the wave election, where Republicans nominated candidates with flaws, they lost. So we can’t just nominate anybody. We’ve got to find really good candidates.”
The national Democratic Party is already setting a plan in motion to win back the Senate majority, and the map is in their favor — seven of the 24 Senate seats Republicans will be defending are states that President Barack Obama carried in the past two elections.
And one of those seven seats belongs to Toomey, whose race has already been deemed a “toss up” and a “race to watch.”
Rendell didn’t say whether his party had found that “really good” candidate to challenge Toomey yet, but he did say Toomey’s job performance will make him a tough competitor.
“Senator Toomey has done a good job politically,” Rendell said. “I think he strengthened his position in the Philadelphia suburbs with his leadership on the gun issue.”
Rendell’s failure to comment on Toomey’s potential Democratic challenger could come as a blow to the only declared Democratic candidate so far, 2010 Democratic nominee Joe Sestak. The former governor heavily influenced former Sen. Arlen Specter’s switch to the Democratic Party in 2009. Sestak beat out Specter by 8 points to claim the 2010 nomination.
Rendell is not the only one less than thrilled with a Toomey-Sestak rematch. Sestak has received lukewarm support from his party, many of whom seem to be holding out for another candidate to enter the race.
Two other Democrats have recently expressed interest in the 2016 bid. Former Rep. Chris Carney announced last month that he is “weighing” a run, and website registrations indicate that State Sen. Vincent Hughes may throw his hat in, as well.
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14 Responses
Why don’t you run against him Ed? You managed to do absolutely nothing during your term in office except to grant tax free status to Comcast and raise taxes. I do agree Toomey is useless but what other useless candidate will you offer up? Maybe you should get a job on Fox and they will call it Hannity and Rendell.
james – As a candidate, Sestak worked hard to expose the real Toomey? WTF?? You must have watched the senate race in a different universe. Because, here, Sestak was a total p*ssy and rolled over to let Toomey scratch his belly.
Barbara – “Rendell convinced the State Democratic leadership to abandon Joe Sestak” Um.. no. Sestak abandon the party. He didn’t want to pay minimum wage to workers offered by state committee and refused help from former Specter supporters who were willing to unite beside him. He dropped the word “Democrat” from his advertising and refused to participate in a coordinated campaign, and abandoned the down-ticket candidates.
Why should any good Democrat care what Rendell says about the Senatorial race. He dug up Specter from the Republican Party to run for the Senate as a Democrat,. Then when Specter lost the primary Rendell convinced the State Democratic leadership to abandon Joe Sestak who had won the primary. There was little money or support from the State or National Dem parties for Sestak, who lost to Toomey by a small percent.
The grass roots voters, the Committee party at the local level know and like Sestak. If the guys at the top, who talk a lot, but do not work the districts, will stop looking for another party pick, we can beat Toomey with a strong Sestak
Imagine that – for once, I can agree with “Observer.”
Pat Toomey is the former president of the Club for Growth with a free trade, free market, “limited” (anti-) government agenda. Rendell may think he’s good politically, but when it comes to being good for America, he’s just the opposite. He has no qualms about agreeing with any group of citizens (his political rhetoric) but when he votes in the senate, he votes just the opposite of the verbal support he conveys to citizens. Sestak has already begun publicizing this dual feature of Toomey. His dismal record, actually frightful record, speaks for itself and Sestak will work extremely hard, as he did both as a congressman and then a candidate for senate, to expose the real Toomey and his record as a senator.
How about a candidate from the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party? I’m really tired of Rendell constantly being the go to talking head of the PA Democratic Party. I’m tired of Dems pushing Democratic candidates who are better suited to run as Republicans than Democrats. Democrats need a real reason to vote FOR a Democrat.
Josh Shapiro supporters taking the “fishing for compliments” approach to astroturfing. Not that it’s obvious or anything.
Burt- Let’s see if he can get elected dog-catcher first.
We’re more than a year out from the PRIMARY, and some are upset that we are not locked into the first guy to throw his hat in. This stuff gets so blown out of proportion. I like Sestak; a little war-hawkish for me, but otherwise a solid candidate. But – if it is all the same and if the sun will still rise tomorrow – I’d like to see who else enters during the next year plus.
Alan Kennedy-Shaffer for Senate. He will rise like a Phoenix from the ashes and beat Pat Toomey.
Here’s a hint, Fast Eddie: It AIN’T you! Keep your corrupt, perverted self OUT of the primary, please. And Privatizing Josh Shapiro is nothing more than Fast Eddie’s handpicked water-boy – has never done a thing on his own his whole life, except sell his county down the river.
josh shapiro, i heard he is looking to run for state treasure.
Politics PA makes it sound as if Rendell had deliberately snubbed Sestak by omission. In fact, the quote is about taking any Senate seat, not just Toomey’s. Go read the article.
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