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Pennsylvania Resident Doesn't Want Republican Candidates To Win Senate Seats

Andria Kowalchik |
October 30, 2010 | 12:33 a.m. PDT

Staff Reporter

Pennsylvania Democratic Senate candidate Joe Sestak. (Creative Commons)
Pennsylvania Democratic Senate candidate Joe Sestak. (Creative Commons)
Pam Bianca doesn’t want to see the Republicans gain any seats in the Senate on Tuesday, especially not from Pennsylvania.

Bianca comes from Scranton, Pa. a Democrat-heavy city in the northeastern part of the state. It’s a blue-collar town built from the now empty coal mines.

“He’s just a suit,” she said in regard to Republican candidate Pat Toomey. “He’s talking about issues like Iraq still. He’s out of touch.”

Standing in Toomey’s way on Tuesday, much to Bianca’s delight, is Democrat Joe Sestak.

The race is hotly contested, with President Obama and former President Clinton both making stops in Pennsylvania within the last week to garner support for Sestak, who’s been trailing in the polls by 4 points but is coming on strong in recent weeks.

No matter who the winner is on Tuesday, Pennsylvania will be sending a new senator to Washington since longtime incumbent Arlen Specter lost the primary to Sestak.

“There’s none of that anti-incumbent stuff here,” Bianca said. “We are hardworking people who care about fixing the economy, not any of the politics.”

That’s not to say she doesn’t enjoy some of the politics. She loves going to the rallies that spring up every time there’s an important election. Especially the ones with President Clinton, who has made plenty of visits to the city in recent years to stump for Democratic candidates.

“I’m not thrilled with Sestak, but I won’t let Toomey get that seat,” Bianca said.

The Democrats are counting on that.

Reach reporter Andria Kowalchik here.

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