The Pennsylvania Democratic Party is officially warning against the idea of nominating Rep. Joe Sestak in his primary challenge against incumbent Democrat and former Republican Arlen Specter — as the chances of a Sestak win appear to be going up.
Pennsylvania Dem chairman T.J. Rooney told Politico that “if we want to keep this seat in Democratic hands, the only person capable of delivering that victory is Arlen Specter.” He added: “I can’t say, honest and true, if the shoe’s on the other foot, that we’ll have the same race in November. The results could be cataclysmic.”
Meanwhile, Marc Ambinder reports that the White House and senior Democrats have become more nervous about Specter’s chances: “A senior political strategist who is consulted by the White House puts the odds at ‘50/50.’”
The TPM Poll Average gives Specter a lead of 45.6%-35.2%. Specter’s support has remained stable ever since last year, while Sestak’s support has been slowly but surely climbing since February. The primary will be held in less than two weeks, on May 18.
Eric Kleefeld
Eric Kleefeld joined TPM as an intern for the final months of the 2006 midterm elections, and then kept showing up for work. His other interests include guitars, old comic books and the politics of various English-speaking countries.
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