Former Congressman Joe Sestak
Joe Sestak, a Democrat who represented the old 7th Congressional District in Chester and Delaware counties between 2006 and 2010 ended his presidential campaign Sunday night.
Sestak, a retired three-star U.S. Navy admiral struggled for attention and campaign donations — never making the threshold to participate in any of the Democratic Party debates — and was somewhat lost among the more than a dozen candidates for the Democratic nomination.
He sent out a notice to his supporters Sunday night:
Friend,
I want to thank you for the honor of running for President of the United States of America. It has been an endeavor filled with immeasurable wisdom, passions, humor and insights to, and from, the people of America. I have “lived America” … and will cherish every moment, whether a veteran from a maximum security penitentiary calling to say, “Hey, Joe, the guys have heard you’re running for President, and they want you to know they’re going to organize Philadelphia for you,” or the tears of a transgender youth as she quietly told me she just wants what everybody else wants. I could never pay enough for what I experienced, and the men and women I met.
It’s a marvelous fabric we Americans have woven together throughout the centuries. I know there is a tear in that fabric right now; but it can be repaired by someone who can lead, and therefore unite, all Americans. It’s been done before, beginning with the best, George Washington, as he lay on the ground after battle to sleep in a cloak together with his men even before he was a President who united America.
A moral compass for our great ship of state is the beacon most needed today. And it is for the Captain of State who offers it that all Americans will provide the fair winds and following seas to advance us. That is necessary for us both at home and abroad, to convene the world to advance our policies and commitment to democratic values for our collective good.
Again, thank you for this priceless opportunity as I end our campaign together. Without the privilege of national press, it is unfair to ask others to husband their resolve and to sacrifice resources any longer. I deeply appreciate the support so many of you offered — whether by volunteering, offering financial contributions or coming to our campaign events. I will miss the opportunities I had in experiencing America in such a wonderful way!
With my deepest appreciation, please accept my final note of service to you … Joe Sestak
Montana Gov. Steve Bulloch also pulled out of the race, Sunday night.
