Sestak - U.S. House Campaigns - 2006

2006

Sestak ran successfully for Pennsylvania's 7th congressional district, making him the second Democrat to win in the traditionally Republican district since the Civil War. The race was in the national spotlight, as it was profiled in Time Magazine as the harbinger of the national political climate of the 2006 elections and the most-watched swing district in the country.

In 2006, with his daughter's recovery process going smoothly, Sestak was motivated to run for Congress due to the benefits he received under the United States Military's TRICARE health care program. Due to his high rank, his daughter received the care she needed to treat her brain tumor. Sestak stated that, during his travels to find the best treatment for his daughter, he saw children who didn't have the same quality care, or couldn't even afford the needed care. Thus, Sestak placed health care reform as a pillar of his campaign to make sure everyone had the same care his family had. He articulated that his congressional service was a continuation of his military service, for "paying back" the country that gave health care to his daughter. Sestak began laying the groundwork for a Congressional run in his home district in Pennsylvania as a Democrat. However, he was approached and told that he had to first receive the endorsement of the "DCCC." Confused, Sestak first thought DCCC meant his hometown's Delaware County Community College. Eventually, he was steered toward the correct DCCC, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and informed its head, Rahm Emanuel, of his run for Congress. Emanuel told Sestak he was not ready for such an election. Pennsylvania's 7th district is heavily conservative, as Republicans outnumbered Democrats 2:1. Sestak decided to run anyway and turned to his brother Richard and sisters Elizabeth and Margaret, who served as his campaign manager, top fundraiser and treasurer, respectively. Sestak challenged ten-term incumbent Curt Weldon in a race for the seat. Sestak proved a capable fund-raiser. In the second quarter of 2006, he raised $704,000 to Weldon's $692,000; in the third, $1.14 million to $912,000. As of September 30, 2006, Sestak had $1.53 million cash on hand, while Weldon had $1.12 million in the bank after making a $500,000 TV ad buy that had not started as of the close of the third quarter. Sestak received campaign funds from famed people around the world, including performer Jimmy Buffett, John Grisham, Bill and Hillary Clinton, and many Naval officers.

On October 6, 2006, the nonpartisan Cook Political Report re-rated the race from "Lean Republican" to "Toss Up." A poll released in late September 2006 showed Sestak and Weldon locked in a statistical dead heat. Sestak led Weldon 44-43 among likely voters in a Franklin & Marshall College Keystone Poll released September 29. The poll also found that 49 percent of registered voters in the district felt it was time for change in the district and only 37 percent said Weldon deserved re-election. The poll numbers suggest Sestak had seriously eroded Weldon's previous lead; a poll conducted in April 2006 by the pro-Democratic Party organization Democracy Corps had Weldon leading 51 to 41 percent. An October 8–10 survey by nonpartisan pollster Constituent Dynamics put Sestak ahead 51–44. On October 13, 2006, CQPolitics changed their rating on the race, from "Leans Republican" to "No Clear Favorite." The race was locked in a dead-heat until late October, when FBI special agents raided the homes of Weldon's daughter and a close friend in connection with a federal corruption probe (though as of 2009 neither Weldon nor his daughter were ever charged with a crime). Sestak won by 13 points.