Joe Sestak Seeks Rematch Against Pat Toomey For Senate

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- In 2010 Democrat Joe Sestak nearly defeated Republican Pat Toomey for the U.S. Senate.

Now the one-time congressman and three-star admiral wants a rematch, saying Toomey is a partisan Republican and obstructionist.

"He's the 9th most obstructionist senator of all 100 senators now," Sestak told KDKA political editor Jon Delano on Monday.

"When President Obama submitted a nomination for the Supreme Court, he said, 'No you can't. We're not going to take a nomination from this Democratic president.'"

In addition to his fellow veterans, Sestak appeals to those unhappy with the way Washington operates.

"I would like to address the biggest issue we have in America today as their senator, the lack of trust in our public officials where they don't think, rightly, that our public officials are there for them, for people, above party or type for them," He said. "That more than anything is what I want to bring, as well as my national security background and a passion for restoring the American dream."

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Sestak has long preached universal health care.

"In the military everybody gets health care because we want healthy warriors. I want a healthy workforce and so when you have somebody that's tried to dismantle Obamacare over 30 times with votes like Pat Toomey, you know he's not for people," Sestak said.

But before Sestak can take on Toomey, he must win the Democratic primary against Governor Wolf's former chief of staff Katie McGinty and Braddock mayor John Fetterman.

Wolf, Ed Rendell, and much of the Democratic establishment have endorsed McGinty.

Sestak, who kicked off his campaign by walking across the state, is not worried.

"The establishment isn't working for the people. So, yes, as I walked across the state, 422 miles, I said I'm an independent who happens to be a Democrat, but I'm an independent representative of people."

On April 26th, Democrats will decide whether he's their best candidate to take on Toomey.