As if there was any doubt...
One indicator of his bipartisan appeal can be found in the raw vote totals. State Rep incumbents are normally the chief vote getters in municipalities. Normally, the Democratic Presidential candidate can be expected to receive more votes than the other down-ticket Democratic candidates (excluding incumbent State Reps), and this was true county-wide. However, it was Joe Sestak who came in second in terms of total votes in many municipalities. Delaware County Republicans will often vote for a Democratic Presidential candidate and still support down-ticket Republicans. However, in many municipalities with a strong Republican presence, Joe Sestak was able to outpoll both Obama and McCain, indicating significant support from Republican voters. Here are a few examples:
Haverford Township (mixed R & D)
Sestak = 17,640
Obama = 16,722
McCain = 11,557
Williams = 10,089
Springfield Township (solid R)
McCain = 7,482
Sestak = 7,274
Williams = 6,888
Obama = 6,859
Upper Darby Township (mixed R & D, large African American pop.)
Sestak = 23,554
Obama = 23,422
McCain = 13,286
Williams = 12,145
Sestak's large margin, including a significant number of votes from Republicans is quite an achievement when you consider the following factors:
Republicans outnumber Democrats in the 7th Congressional district.
Craig Williams had an impressive resume and ran an aggressive campaign.
The Delco GOP machine - 'nuff said (that's a compliment, by the way).
The poor organization of the various Delco Democratic committees.
Craig Williams had the endorsement of the largest area newspaper.
Sure, Joe enjoyed the Obama bump, but that's far from the whole story. The fact that he enjoyed larger vote totals than Obama in many municipalities reflects his appeal with moderate Republicans. That's something for the Delco GOP to chew on while they prepare for next year.
Congratulations, Mr. Congressman!








