Joe Sestak’s No Good, Very Bad February

“The news for Joe Sestak’s stumbling campaign just keeps getting worse. Earlier this month, a Quinnipiac poll showed U.S. Senator Pat Toomey with a 10-point lead over Democratic challenger Joe Sestak. This week, even fellow Democrats such as Congressman Bob Brady and former State Party Chairman T.J. Rooney are voicing their concerns with his faltering U.S. Senate campaign. As Pennsylvania Democrats meet in Hershey this weekend, it’s clear that momentum is not on the side of their U.S. Senate candidate.” — PA GOP Communications Director Megan Sweeney

Polling Shows Sestak Is Down By Double-Digits

2/10: Quinnipiac Poll Shows Senator Toomey Leading Sestak By Double-Digits “U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey leads possible Democratic challenger Joe Sestak 45 – 35 percent in an early look at a possible rematch in 2016.” (Quinnipiac University, 2/10/2015)

Sestak Campaign “Is Not Scaring Anyone”

2/19: Congressman Bob Brady: Sestak “Is Not Scaring Anyone” As A U.S. Senate Candidate “[Sestak’s] not scaring anyone,” said Bob Brady, a congressman from Philadelphia and behind-the-scenes power player in Pennsylvania Democratic politics. “He’s not clearing the field because he’s running.” (Alex Roarty, “Meet The Democratic Senate Candidate Who Drives Democrats Crazy,” National Journal, 2/19/2015)

2/16: Sestak “Will Have Company In The Primary” “Former congressman Joe Sestak (D), who lost to Toomey in 2010, is planning to run again. But strategists expect that he will have company in the primary.”

Democrats Publicly Voice Their Concerns About Sestak

2/17: Former PA Democratic Party Chairman T.J. Rooney: “In My Estimation, If Joe Sestak Is The Nominee In 2016 For U.S. Senate, We Will Once Again Lose To Pat Toomey.” “‘In my estimation, if Joe Sestak is the nominee in 2016 for U.S. Senate, we will once again lose to Pat Toomey,’ said T.J. Rooney, who was state Democratic Party chairman when Sestak ran in 2010.” (Alex Roarty, “Meet The Democratic Senate Candidate Who Drives Democrats Crazy,” National Journal, 2/19/2015)

“Many Qualified Candidates…Seem To Be Sitting This One Out.” “It’s worrisome to a lot of people,” said T.J. Rooney, a Pennsylvania-based Democratic consultant and former chair of the state party. “There certainly are many, many qualified potential candidates out there but for a myriad of reasons, they seem to be sitting this one out.” (Kyle Cheney and Tarini Parti, “Dems’ farm teams languish even with Senate in play,” Politico, 2/17/2015)

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