Williams hints at a possible U.S. Senate run

WASHINGTON - Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams hinted at a potential bid for U.S. Senate next year, as his party seeks a nominee to take on the incumbent, Republican Pat Toomey.

"Anytime people talk about that, it's something you have to consider," Williams said Thursday in a telephone interview.

He stressed that he is focused on his current job, but said being a senator might give him more chances to make an impact statewide.

Supporting early childhood education or after-school programs, he said, "would really do a great job with helping us prevent crime."

Williams added, "Who wouldn't want to be a U.S. senator?"

His interest was first reported by National Journal.

A Williams run would give Democrats an alternative to Joe Sestak, the onetime congressman from Delaware County who has made clear he intends to run.

Montgomery County Commissioner Josh Shapiro has also drawn interest from national Democrats and is continuing to examine a run, a person familiar with his thinking said, despite whispers that he might instead look to state-level office.

Others in the conversation for the Democratic nomination include Philadelphia State Sen. Vincent Hughes, who told Philadelphia Weekly this week that running for U.S. Senate has "been on my mind," and former Congressman Chris Carney.

Any of them would be chasing Sestak, who inspires fiercely mixed reactions among Democrats.

Some praise the former admiral for his aggressive work ethic, while others chafe at his personality and want another option in a year when Democrats believe they have a chance to oust Toomey and hope to retake the Senate.

The presidential race is also expected to provide a lift to Pennsylvania Democrats in a state that has gone blue in every recent presidential year.

One Democrat talked up the possibility of a historic ticket with Hillary Rodham Clinton running to be the first female president and Williams seeking to become Pennsylvania's first African American senator.

Williams, 48, has raised his profile recently by taking on fellow Democrats, pursuing corruption cases dropped by Attorney General Kathleen Kane (also once considered a Toomey rival), and this week challenging Gov. Wolf's decision to halt the death penalty.

Williams said he has not spoken with top Democrats about a run, but "if the party leaders gave me a call, I'd listen."

He and the party's Philadelphia chairman, U.S. Rep. Bob Brady, live on the same block, but each said they had not discussed a Senate bid.

"He's a friend," Brady said in an interview, "and he would be an absolutely viable candidate."

He also called Sestak "a good candidate" but said, "It's not like we don't have primaries."

Of course, a primary could be costly and damaging to the nominee.

Sestak had $1.6 million on hand for a Senate run as of his last filing.

While many Democratic insiders dislike him, his backers point out that he ran without party backing in the primary and still won the Senate nomination in 2010 before losing by 2 percentage points to Toomey.

The choice is potentially critical to Democrats' chances of taking back the Senate. They view Pennsylvania as one of their best chances to gain ground.