Report: Dems Recruit Shapiro for Senate
![Josh Shapiro, courtesty his Flickr feed.](https://cdn10.phillymag.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/shapiro.jpg)
Josh Shapiro, courtesty his Flickr feed.
National Democrats are recruiting Josh Shapiro, chairman of the Montgomery County Commission, to run against Joe Sestak for the right to challenge Pat Toomey for his Senate seat in fall 2016.
Two people familiar with the discussions told The Associated Press this week that Democratic Senate leaders, including New York’s Chuck Schumer and the head of the Senate Democrats’ campaign arm, Montana’s Jon Tester, have spoken with Shapiro.
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, headed by Tester, declined comment on the private discussions and recruiting. A spokeswoman said in a statement that “there’s a number of Democrats in the Keystone State who would be successful in sending Pat Toomey home.”
Shapiro declined comment. Sestak has been crosswise with party leaders since he ignored their wishes and ran a primary campaign against longtime Sen. Arlen Specter in 2010, defeating him.