For Senate: Sestak win ends Specter's long Pa. political career
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Rep. Joe Sestak with his daughter, Alex, and his wife, Susan, speaks to a primary watch event crowd in Wayne, Pa. -
Sen. Arlen Specter, D-Pa., concedes the primary race, addressing supporters gathered in Philadelphia last night. At Specter's side is his wife Joan, right, and granddaughters Perri Specter, left and Silvi Specter.
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PHILADELPHIA -- Undone by anti-incumbent fervor, a party base that didn't trust its new convert and low turnout on a drizzly day, Arlen Specter, the longest serving U.S. senator in Pennsylvania history, saw his political career come to its apparent end Tuesday in a Democratic primary loss to U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak.
In a brief concession speech, Mr. Specter thanked his family, his staff and "most of the media in the Western Hemisphere" who descended upon Philadelphia to witness the end of an era.
"It's been a great privilege to serve the people of Pennsylvania," he said. "And it's been a great privilege to be in the United States Senate, and I'll be working very, very hard for people of the commonwealth in the coming months. Thank you all."
Mr. Specter, 80, had served in the Senate as a Republican since 1981 but a year ago decided his prospects for a sixth term would be better in a primary race as a Democrat. His vote for the controversial stimulus package had caused the GOP to revolt against him and inspired Republican Pat Toomey -- a former congressman from Allentown who narrowly lost to Mr. Specter in the 2004 primary -- to get into the race.
Mr. Toomey handily won his primary race against Johnstown activist Peg Luksik and will face Mr. Sestak in the fall.
From his position on the Warren Commission pushing the single-bullet theory in the John F. Kennedy assassination to his grilling of professor Anita Hill during Clarence Thomas' Supreme Court confirmation hearings to his dramatic party switch last year, Mr. Specter's public life has never been dull. Mr. Specter's first political race was in 1965, a successful run for district attorney in Philadelphia when he defied the city's Democratic machine to run as a Republican, even though he was a registered Democrat. He stuck with the GOP for the next 44 years.
Mr. Specter aspired to higher office, but lost governor and Senate races before he grabbed a Senate seat in 1980. Mr. Specter earned a spot on the Appropriations Committee and, as his clout rose over the years, he continually brought federal money into every corner of the state.
"I think Arlen Specter has done more for the people of Pennsylvania than anyone in the commonwealth's history," said Gov. Ed Rendell, who worked for Mr. Specter in the Philadelphia DA's office decades ago.
First Published May 19, 2010 1:05 am
