Specter leads, looks for fifth term after tough year
PHILADELPHIA (AP) – U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter was seeking to survive the toughest election year of his Senate career Tuesday to secure a fifth term against challengers from the political left and right. If he succeeds, Specter, 74, a moderate Republican, would chair the Senate Judiciary Committee starting in January – a post that would give him broad authority to help reshape the Supreme Court as ailing justices look to retire.
The election challenge, led by Democratic Rep. Joe Hoeffel, tested Specter’s durability in a state with over a half-million more Democrats than Republicans. Specter was already the first Pennsylvania senator to be elected to four terms.
With 65 percent of precincts reporting, Specter was leading, with 1,370,561 votes, or 48 percent. Democratic challenger Rep. Joe Hoeffel had 1,356,346 votes, or 47 percent, while conservative Constitution Party candidate Jim Clymer had 3 percent and Libertarian Betsy Summers 1 percent.
Specter entertained a crowd of several hundred supporters gathered at the Four Seasons in Philadelphia around 9:30 p.m. with stories of his childhood in Kansas and moving to Philadelphia as a young man.
On a serious note, he said national Republicans need to “rebuild the center” of the party.
Asked if he was concerned about the election results, Specter said: “Sure. Until they come in, I’m concerned. We can’t determine anything.”
Specter barely survived a GOP primary in April against conservative U.S. Rep. Pat Toomey, winning by less than 2 percentage points after President Bush persuaded disgruntled Republicans to stick with the incumbent. After the primary, Specter quickly sought to distance himself from the White House – but not before Hoeffel seized on the alliance to try to undercut the Republican’s support from moderates and Democrats who have backed him over the years.
But the 54-year-old Hoeffel, a three-term congressman and former country commissioner, suffered from limited statewide name recognition and comparatively weak fund raising. His campaign was snubbed by a handful of traditionally Democratic groups, including labor unions and black inner-city clergy, which endorsed Specter.
Hoeffel voted shortly after 10 a.m. at a 150-year-old community center in his suburban Abington hometown with his wife and two children, both of whom are in their 20s.
His wife, Francesca, couldn’t immediately cast her ballot because of a paperwork problem. She had to wait for an elections judge to approve her to vote.
Hoeffel said he expected a large Democratic turnout and that “the more people that vote, the better my chances will be.”
Specter spent at least $18 million to defend his seat. All told, the election cost an estimated $28 million among all the candidates, making it one of the most expensive Senate races in the country this year, as well as in state history.
Hoeffel saw an opening to defeat Specter after his bruising GOP primary, particularly if conservative Clymer could siphon off conservatives from the Republican vote.