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Specter wins Pa. party backing

Democrats endorsed him over Sestak for Senate. For governor, Wagner led but fell short of endorsement.

By Tom Infield and Thomas Fitzgerald

LANCASTER - When U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter switched from a Republican to a Democrat last year, some Democratic loyalists in Pennsylvania said hell would freeze over before they'd embrace an old foe they had been battling in statewide elections for 30 years.

Yesterday, amid the deep freeze and howling winds of the worst winter storm in years, the Democratic State Committee met in a snowbound hotel in Amish country to consider endorsements in this year's races for the U.S. Senate, governor, and lieutenant governor.

Despite the reservations of some party members, who challenged him for what they considered pro-Republican sins of the past, Specter, of Philadelphia, beat U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak, of Delaware County, gaining the two-thirds majority required for endorsement by the party rules.

With chants of "Arlen! Arlen! Arlen!" from some of his supporters, Specter, who will turn 80 on Friday, practically bounded to a microphone in front of several hundred Democrats at the Lancaster Host Resort.

"I have been involved in many, many elections, but never one quite as thrilling as this," he said. "It almost feels like a presidential nominating convention."

In other action, none of the five longtime, dyed-in-the-wool Democrats who want to be governor could muster the two-thirds majority required for the party's nod in the May 18 primary, although state Auditor General Jack Wagner got the most support.

On the day, the only candidate who received more support than Specter was Jonathan Saidel, the former Philadelphia city controller, who easily won endorsement for lieutenant governor over former Commonwealth Court Judge Doris Smith-Ribner, who is from the Pittsburgh area.

Saidel promised the 302 voting delegates and 100 or so party observers that top Democrats would win in Pennsylvania in November.

"We will have as our nominee the next governor of Pennsylvania," he predicted.

But the identity of the nominee for governor is a long way from being determined.

Wagner, who had been meeting party leaders among the back roads and veterans halls of Pennsylvania for months, received the majority of votes with 153 on the second and final ballot to 76 for his closest rival, Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato. Wagner won more than two-thirds of the 67 counties, dominating the smaller ones, but the county-by-county votes were weighted according to Democratic criteria.

Wagner called it a victory.

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