Shapiro deflects reports of Senate bid

Montgomery County Board of Commissioners Chairman Josh Shapiro declined to address reports Friday that he has been asked to run against Joe Sestak for Pat Toomey's U.S. Senate seat.

Sources have told The Inquirer and the Associated Press that Senate Democratic leaders, including Chuck Schumer of New York and Jon Tester of Montana, have talked to Shapiro about joining the race.

Asked about those talks Friday, Shapiro responded: "How about we talk about our county budget surplus instead?"

If he jumps into the 2016 race, Shapiro would face Sestak in the Democratic primary. Sestak, who narrowly lost to Toomey in 2010, leaves some Democrats wary in a race critical to the party's hopes of retaking the Senate.

Shapiro, 41, of Abington, has long been known to be considering a run for Senate. But he is also weighing the idea of a bid for state attorney general, according to Democratic insiders. He is running for reelection in Montgomery County.

A lawyer and former aide to former U.S. Rep. Joe Hoeffel, Shapiro spent six years as a state representative for Montgomery County before taking the helm of one of the state's largest and most influential counties.

Sestak angered Democratic leaders in 2010 by running against Sen. Arlen Specter when Democrats from President Obama on down wanted to clear the field for the longtime incumbent. Sestak beat Specter in the primary and narrowly lost to Toomey in the general election in a Republican wave that year. It was a sign, his supporters argued, of his political strength despite strained relations with the Democratic elite.

In such a critical race, considered one of the top Democratic opportunities to gain ground in the Senate, party officials in Washington want their top operatives involved. Sestak prefers to be surrounded by old friends and acquaintances.

A recent Quinnipiac University poll showed Sestak trailing Toomey by 13 percentage points in the early stages of campaigning.