Editing Arlen Specter (section)

==Campaigns==
[[File:Specter campaigning.jpg|thumb|Specter campaigning for re-election]]
In [[United States Senate election in Pennsylvania, 1980|1980]], Specter became the Republican nominee for Senate when Republican incumbent [[Richard Schweiker]] announced his retirement. He faced the former [[Mayor of Pittsburgh]], [[Peter F. Flaherty|Pete Flaherty]]. Specter won the election by a 2.5% margin. He was later re-elected in [[United States Senate election in Pennsylvania, 1986|1986]], [[United States Senate election in Pennsylvania, 1992|1992]], [[United States Senate election in Pennsylvania, 1998|1998]], and [[United States Senate election in Pennsylvania, 2004|2004]], despite 1992 and 1998 being bad years for Republicans. Specter ran for [[United States Senate election in Pennsylvania, 2010|re-election in 2010]], for the first time as a Democrat, but was defeated in the primary.<ref>{{cite news|last=Sherman|first=Jerome L.|title=Specter says he'll run in 2010 at age 80|url=http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07079/770871-178.stm|work=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]]|date=March 20, 2007|access-date=April 30, 2009}}</ref>

===1996 presidential bid===
{{Main|1996 United States presidential election}}
On March 31, 1995, Specter announced his candidacy for President of the United States, to challenge the incumbent [[Bill Clinton]]. He entered the race as an alternative to the stereotypical religious conservative image. He was critical of [[Patrick J. Buchanan|Pat Buchanan]], [[Pat Robertson]], and [[Ralph Reed]], saying all three were far too conservative.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.4president.org/speeches/1996/arlenspecter1996announcement.htm|title=Arlen Specter 1996 Presidential Announcement Speech|publisher=4president.org|date=March 30, 1995|access-date=August 29, 2010}}</ref>

His campaign focused on balancing the federal budget, strict crime laws, and establishing relations with [[North Korea]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/03/31/us/joining-race-specter-attacks-the-right.html|work=The New York Times|title=Joining Race, Specter Attacks the Right|first=Richard L.|last=Berke|date=March 31, 1995}}</ref> His candidacy was not expected to succeed in winning the Republican nomination due to the overwhelmingly large number of [[social conservative]]s in the Republican Party. He was, however, able to gain support. Fellow Pennsylvania Senator [[Rick Santorum]] was supportive of his candidacy.<ref>{{cite news|last=Jaffe|first=Alexandra|title=Santorum: Backing Specter 'wasn't one of my prouder moments'|via=[[HighBeam Research]]|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-2613853041.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130602092830/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-2613853041.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 2, 2013|access-date=March 18, 2013|newspaper=[[National Journal]]|date=March 19, 2012|location=Washington D.C.}}</ref> Other supportive Republicans were hopeful Specter could trim the party's "far-right fringe". Although his campaign was ultimately unsuccessful at wooing conservatives, it was widely believed he could have had a strong showing among independents. On November 23, 1995, before the start of the primaries, Specter suspended his campaign to endorse [[Kansas]] Senator [[Bob Dole]].

===2004 campaign===
{{Main|2004 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania}}

In 2004, Specter faced a challenge in the Republican [[Partisan primary|primary election]] from conservative Congressman [[Pat Toomey]], whose campaign theme was that Specter was not conservative enough. The match-up was closely watched nationally, being seen as a symbolic clash between the conservative and moderate wings of the Republican Party. However, most of the state and national Republican establishment, including the state's other senator at the time, [[Rick Santorum]], closed ranks behind Specter. Specter was supported by President [[George W. Bush]]. Specter narrowly avoided a major upset with 51% of the primary vote. Once Specter defeated the challenge from the right, he was able to enjoy great support from independents and some Democrats in his race against [[U.S. Representative]] [[Joe Hoeffel]], the Democratic nominee.<ref>{{cite web|last=Sabato|first=Larry J.|title=Republican Specter defends his seat against Joe Hoeffel|url=http://www.centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/article.php?id=SPA2004102201|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080213062620/http://www.centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/article.php?id=SPA2004102201|archive-date=February 13, 2008|work=Crystal Ball|publisher=[[University of Virginia]]|author-link=Larry J. Sabato|date=October 22, 2004|access-date=April 30, 2009}}</ref> Hoeffel trailed Specter in name recognition, campaign funds, and poll results.<ref>{{cite news|last=Samad |first=Farouk |title=Hoeffel trails Specter by large margin in Senate race |url=http://media.www.dailypennsylvanian.com/media/storage/paper882/news/2004/09/27/News/Hoeffel.Trails.Specter.By.Large.Margin.In.Senate.Race-2150770.shtml |work=The Daily Pennsylvanian |date=September 27, 2004 |access-date=April 30, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090504141851/http://media.www.dailypennsylvanian.com/media/storage/paper882/news/2004/09/27/News/Hoeffel.Trails.Specter.By.Large.Margin.In.Senate.Race-2150770.shtml |archive-date=May 4, 2009 }}</ref> Although the two minor candidates in the race were seen as more conservative than Specter, they were only able to take 5.39 percent of the vote, and Specter was easily re-elected.

===2010 campaign===
{{Main|2010 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania|2010 United States Senate Democratic primary election in Pennsylvania}}
[[File:Pennsylvania Leadership Forum Arlen Specter (3820151975).jpg|thumb|Specter (far right) at the 2009 [[Netroots Nation]] convention in Pittsburgh]]

Specter was up for re-election to the Senate in 2010, and expressed his plans to run again. On March 18, 2009, Specter said that he was not considering running as an independent. He said, "To eliminate any doubt, I am a Republican, and I am running for re-election in 2010 as a Republican on the Republican ticket."<ref name="inquirer 31909">{{cite news|last=Fitzgerald |first=Thomas |title=Specter staying on Republican ticket |url=http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20090319_Specter_staying_on_Republican_ticket.html |date=March 19, 2009 |work=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]] |access-date=April 28, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090501111708/http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20090319_Specter_staying_on_Republican_ticket.html |archive-date=May 1, 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Subsequently, Specter's 2004 conservative GOP primary challenger, [[Pat Toomey]], announced he would again run for the Republican nomination in the Republican senatorial primary.<ref name="Senate 2010">{{cite news|last=Turner|first=Trish|title=Specter faces conservative challenge from familiar foe|url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/specter-faces-conservative-challenge-from-familiar-foe/|work=[[Fox News]]|date=April 15, 2009|access-date=April 28, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090421033140/http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/04/15/specter-faces-conservative-challenge-familiar-foe|archive-date=April 21, 2009|url-status=live}}</ref>

However, on April 28, 2009, Specter stated that, "As the Republican Party has moved farther and farther to the right, I have found myself increasingly at odds with the Republican philosophy and more in line with the philosophy of the Democratic Party".<ref name="CNN switch">{{cite news|title=Longtime GOP Sen. Arlen Specter becomes Democrat|url=http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/28/specter.party.switch/index.html|date=April 28, 2009|work=[[CNN]]|access-date=April 28, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090502042007/http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/28/specter.party.switch/index.html|archive-date=May 2, 2009|url-status=live}}</ref> He said that he was switching party affiliation and would run as a Democrat in the 2010 election.<ref name="CNN switch"/><ref name="WP switch">{{cite news|url=http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2009/04/28/specter_to_switch_parties.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181226133830/http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2009/04/28/specter_to_switch_parties.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 26, 2018|title=Specter to switch parties|last=Cillizza|first=Chris|date=April 28, 2009|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=April 28, 2009}}</ref><ref name="NYT switch">{{cite news|url=http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/28/specter-will-run-as-a-democrat-in-2010|title=Specter switches parties|last=Hulse|first=Carl|date=April 28, 2009|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=April 28, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090430051611/http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/28/specter-will-run-as-a-democrat-in-2010/|archive-date=April 30, 2009|url-status=live}}</ref>

In the same announcement, Specter also said that he had "surveyed the sentiments of the Republican Party in Pennsylvania and public opinion polls, observed other public opinion polls and have found that the prospects for winning a Republican primary are bleak".<ref name="CNN switch"/> A March 2009 Quinnipiac poll indicated that Specter trailed his likely primary challenger, [[Pat Toomey]], by 14% (41% for Toomey, 27% for Specter).<ref name="Quinn">{{cite web|url=http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x1284.xml?ReleaseID=1280&What=&strArea=5;10;&strTime=3 |title=Little-Known GOP Challenger Tops Specter in Primary, Quinnipiac University Pennsylvania Poll Finds; Support For Obama Plan Helps Among Democrats |date=March 25, 2009 |publisher=Quinnipiac University |access-date=April 29, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090504001255/http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x1284.xml?ReleaseID=1280&What=&strArea=5%3B10%3B&strTime=3 |archive-date=2009-05-04 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Additional polling found that 70% of Pennsylvania Republicans disapproved of his vote in favor of the [[American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009|Stimulus Bill]]<ref name="inquirer 32609">{{cite news|url=http://www.philly.com/inquirer/world_us/20090326_Two_polls_show_challenges_for_Specter.html |title=Two polls show challenges for Specter |last=Fitzgerald |first=Thomas |date=March 26, 2009 |publisher=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]] |access-date=April 29, 2009 }}{{dead link|date=May 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> and that 52 percent of Pennsylvania Republicans disapproved of the job he was doing.<ref name="Quinn"/> Following Specter's switching parties, [[Republican National Committee]] chairman [[Michael Steele]] criticized his leaving the Republican Party, claiming that Specter had "[[Finger (gesture)|flipped the bird]]" at the GOP.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/04/29/1913755.aspx |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120709065847/http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/04/29/1913755.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 9, 2012 |title=Specter bolts the GOP |publisher=[[MSNBC]] |date=April 29, 2009 |access-date=June 13, 2010 }}</ref>

On February 6, 2010, the [[Pennsylvania Democratic Party]] overwhelmingly endorsed Specter at the Democratic State Committee's annual endorsement convention, which was held in [[Lancaster County, Pennsylvania]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2010/02/arlen_specter_endorsed_by_penn.html|title=Arlen Specter endorsed by Pennsylvania Democratic State Committee|agency=Associated Press|publisher=PennLive.com|date=2010-02-06|access-date=June 13, 2010|archive-url=https://archive.today/20100516163500/http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2010/02/arlen_specter_endorsed_by_penn.html|archive-date=May 16, 2010|url-status=live}}</ref> He received more votes than [[Joe Sestak]], winning more than 77% of the Pennsylvania Democratic State Committee members vote, far in excess of the 2/3 threshold needed to claim the endorsement.<ref>{{cite web|last=Wilson |first=Reid |url=http://hotlineoncall.nationaljournal.com/archives/2010/02/specter_endorse.php |title=Specter Endorsed By PA Dems |publisher=Hotlineoncall.nationaljournal.com |access-date=June 13, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100306034046/http://hotlineoncall.nationaljournal.com/archives/2010/02/specter_endorse.php |archive-date=March 6, 2010 }}</ref> Sestak, however, went on to win the Democratic primary nomination on May 18.<ref name="admiral">Toeplitz, Shira. [http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0510/37464.html The admiral sinks Arlen Specter.] ''[[Politico (newspaper)|Politico]]''. May 18, 2010.</ref>

Following the primary, Specter endorsed Sestak in the general election. Sestak would go on to lose the general election to Toomey.