Auditor General Jack Wagner came in first as four-candidates sought the State Committee endorsement, but Sen. Arlen Specter won on the first ballot with more than the required two-thirds of the votes.
Wagner was the selection of the majority but was not able to reach the magic two-thirds number on a subsequent ballot.
The other big winner was former Philadelphia City Controller Jonathan Saidel, who was endorsed for lieutenant governor.
While the outcome was certainly a big plus for Specter and a setback for Montgomery County Congressman Joe Sestak, it does not always follow that the candidate with party endorsement wins the primary. No one knows this better than Specter, who was not endorsed by the Republican State Committee in 1980 but nevertheless won the Republic primary, in large part due to his name recognition.
This time Specter is far better known. But over three months remain before the May 18 primary date, and the public is just becoming aware of the race and Sestak’s attractive qualifications. The deciding factor may well be how the early May polls show the candidates when matched up against former Congressman Pat Toomey from the Lehigh Valley, the likely Republican nominee.
