Democrat to join Pennsylvania Senate race

Democrat Katie McGinty, a top aide to Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf (D), will leave her position as chief of staff this week to run for the Democratic nomination for Senate, National Journal reported Wednesday.

{mosads}A representative for McGinty has not returned a request for comment, but local media reports in recent days have indicated she’s been moving toward a run.

McGinty will face former Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.) in the Democratic primary. Sestak lost narrowly to incumbent Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) in 2010.

Many Democrats have been seeking an alternative to Sestak. They believe the retired Navy admiral, who defeated former Sen. Arlen Specter in a primary in 2010, cost them their best chance at defeating Toomey last time around.

In McGinty, Democrats believe they’ve nabbed a rising star, though she’s never before won elected office. In 2014, McGinty ran for governor but finished last in the Democratic primary.

Still, Wolf thought enough of her to bring her on as his chief of staff. She had previously served as secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and as an adviser to former Vice President Al Gore and former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell.

McGinty has been meeting with officials from EMILY’s List and could get a financial boost from the deep-pocketed group, which supports pro-abortion-rights Democratic women.

Sestak, however, will have an early fundraising advantage. He brought in $727,000 in the second quarter and has $2.2 million in cash on hand, according to a Bloomberg News report.

Democrats have circled Pennsylvania as a top target in 2016. A victory there would go a long way in helping their party regain a majority in the Senate.

On paper, Toomey appears vulnerable. He is running for reelection in a presidential year in a state that hasn’t chosen the GOP presidential nominee since 1988.

But he will begin from a position of strength. He raised $2.2 million in the second quarter, bringing his cash on hand to a strong $8.3 million.

According to a Quinnipiac University survey released late last month, Toomey leads Sestak by 11 points.