Arlen Specter’s long held U.S. Senate seat will be going back to the Republicans as Pat Toomey beat Joe Sestak in a close race, according to the AP.
Toomey, a former U.S. Congressman representing Pa.’s 15th District, held the lead entering election day but Sestak, a U.S. Congressman representing Pa.’s 7th District, made a late push to make it close.
"Today we send a simple, clear message to the establishment in Washington. We're tired of what's been going on down there and we're going to chart a new course," Toomey told supporters in his victory speech early Wednesday morning.
With 99 percent of precincts reporting, Toomey held an insurmountable lead of about 75,000 votes.
Specter, a long-time GOP Senator who switched to the Democratic party in an attempt to hold onto his Senate seat, lost to Sestak in the primary.
Toomey finished off Sestak by running on a conservative platform.
"There is no reason that we don't a booming recovery. We have all the fundamental assets of a great, great economy. And we need to have that strong recovery and the job creation that goes with it. We can do that, but we need to do it by going down a different path," Toomey said after winning the race.
"We've got to end the threats of the excessive government regulations and the huge out of control role that Washington has begun to play...and we ought to make the 2003 tax cuts permanent for everybody and spur some economic growth," said Toomey.
At the end of the night, both candidates congratulated the other on a "spirited" campaign.
Sestak said if he had to do it all over again, even if the outcome were the same, he would because of everything he learned from the people of Pennsylvania. Sestak joked that it was really tough campaigning with his wife. "Things are changing tomorrow," he said. Sestak wrapped up his concession speech by holding up his daughter and declaring, "It is now Alex time," indicating he would now be able to spend a lot more time with his daughter and wife.
