Pennsylvania's 2010 Senate Election: Toomey Leading Sestak

This biggest story in the race for this U.S. Senate seat is that Arlen Specter, the long-time incumbent, was defeated in his bid to be the Democratic 2010 nominee. Joe Sestak, a U.S. House representative, beat Specter in the Democratic primary in May. Specter was a Republican senator since 1980 before switching parties in 2009.

Facing Sestak is Pat Toomey, the Republican nominee. Although Pennsylvania is listed by the Cook Political Report Partisan Voting Index as a slightly Democratic-leaning state with a rating of D+2 (meaning that the state voted more Democratic than the nation as a whole in the last two presidential election years) Specter was able to win election and re-election to the Senate consistently as a moderate Republican.

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Candidates for Senate from Pennsylvania (six-year term)

Candidate: Joe Sestak

Party: Democrat

Political experience: Sestak was voted into the House of Representatives by Pennsylvania's 7th District residents in 2006. He serves on the Armed Services Committee, the Committee on Education and Labor, and is vice chair of the Small Business Committee. He has also served as Director of Defense Policy in the White House under President Clinton, according to his campaign website biography.

Professional experience: Sestak was a career military man, retiring from the Navy after 31 years. He achieved the rank of 3-star admiral and headed the George Washington Aircraft Carrier Battle Group comprised of 15,000 service men and women, 30 ships and 100 aircraft, according to his website.

Key issues: Sestak is campaigning largely on economic issues. In the blue-collar state of Pennsylvania, he is reminding voters of the contrast between Clinton-era prosperity and Bush-era stagnation, linking his opponent's pro-Bush voting record in the House with the cause of the recession. Sestak is a supporter of the Affordable Care Act and says on his campaign website's health care issues page that he supports a public option for health care to compete with private insurers. As a 31-year veteran and 3-star admiral, Sestak appears unassailable on defense issues. Sestak's campaign site also says, "Our global environment is at a tipping point..." and he advocates a strong stand on curbing greenhouse gas emissions while reducing our dependence on foreign oil.

Endorsements: Sestak's campaign highlights endorsements from Bill Clinton and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg that go beyond lip service and include actual in-state campaign appearances by both prominent politicians on behalf of Sestak's senatorial bid.

Sestak's 2010 election prospects: Sestak benefited from anti-incumbency sentiment when he ran against Arlen Specter, but he may suffer from being a member of the party in control of the legislature and White House in the general election. Sestak is trying to define his opponent as a member of the radical right wing with YouTube videos and ads linking Toomey to Sarah Palin and Sharron Angle. To pull away from Toomey in the polls and win in November, Sestak must paint Toomey as a radical conservative to counter the fervor of the anti-establishment and motivate Democrats and more liberal independents to get to the polls for the off-year election.

Candidate: Joe Toomey

Party: Republican

Political experience: Toomey served in the U.S. House of Representatives for Pennsylvania's 15th District from 1999 to 2005. Toomey ran for the U.S. Senate unsuccessfully in 2005. From 2005 to 2009, Toomey headed the Club for Growth, a political action committee that says it supports Republican congressional candidates "who believe in pro-growth policies, limited government, low taxes and economic freedom."

Professional experience: Toomey worked in the international capital markets for six years before starting a restaurant business with his brothers in 1990, according to information on his campaign website's bio page.

Key issues: In an op-ed letter written by Toomey and reposted on his campaign website, he advocates lowering business taxes and decreasing regulation to promote job growth, claiming that the Affordable Care Act and cap and trade environmental legislation will hurt business and make it difficult for them to add jobs. Toomey's position statements say he is pro-life, against same-sex marriage and supports expansion of off-shore oil drilling and within the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve in Alaska to help lower energy costs. Toomey's campaign website also says he opposed the economic stimulus plan and government bailouts. He advocates reduced government spending.

Endorsements: Toomey picked up numerous endorsements from Republican House members even prior to winning the GOP primary. He has also been endorsed by the Senate Conservatives Fund, and has a section on his campaign website allowing any visitor to log their personal endorsement statement.

Toomey's 2010 election prospects: Toomey seems to have the advantage, with the latest poll showing him leading Sestak 45 percent to 36 percent among likely voters, according to Public Policy Polling (PPP). Toomey continues to tie Sestak to big government, big taxes and big spending while taking advantage of the national wave of anti-incumbency sentiment. He also benefits from stronger support from voters in his own party than Sestak garners from Democratic voters, according to PPP data.

Key Differences between Joe Sestak and Pat Toomey

Sestak and Toomey are almost polar opposites on almost every issue.

Economy: Sestak believes in aggressive action to stimulate the economy and supported the economic stimulus bill; Toomey believes that the government should loosen regulations, lower taxes and let business take care of itself.

Health care: Sestak supports the Affordable Care Act and would have included a strong public option; Toomey believes tort reform and more open competition will help lower medical costs and opposes the Affordable Care Act.

Environment and energy: Sestak has sponsored many environmental protection bills during his congressional tenure and supports the development of clean, renewable energy while Toomey supports more drilling.

Social issues: Sestak supports marriage equality and a woman's right to choose, while Toomey is pro-life and supports defining marriage as being between a man and a woman.

Pennsylvania at a glance: Pennsylvania has a population of just more than 12.6 million people, according to the latest U.S. Census estimates. With a land area of just 44,816 square miles, the Keystone State packs in 274 people per square mile compared to the national average of just 80 per square mile. Pennsylvanians earn about $200 a year less per household than the national average, but enjoy a lower rate of poverty than the United States as a whole.

Demographics: According to the U.S. Census, 83.8 percent of state residents are white, 10.3 percent are black and 2.4 percent are Asian. 4.6 percent identify as Hispanic or Latino.