Jul 21, 2015 3 min read

HARRISBURG – Gov. Tom Wolf’s top aide, Katie McGinty, is seriously considering running for U.S. Senate in 2016 and is reaching out to seek advice, Democrats said this week.

McGinty plans to make a decision soon, said Mike Mikus, a Pittsburgh-based campaign consultant who managed McGinty’s failed campaign for governor last year.

McGinty, 52, has a lengthy résumé, with service under former Gov. Ed Rendell and President Bill Clinton. She also is being recruited by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and Emily’s List, a Democratic group backing female candidates who support abortion rights.

Rendell said he told McGinty late last week there is a chance she could win, but she will have two tough elections in front of her. The first would be the April 26 primary against Democrat Joe Sestak, who is seeking a rematch against Republican incumbent Pat Toomey after losing narrowly in 2010.

Having the time to raise money to counter Sestak’s deep grassroots connections will be crucial, Rendell said.

“The only question is how much time is there to raise money,” Rendell said. “And the answer to that is, ‘you’ve got to get started.'”

Marcel Groen, the Montgomery County Democratic Party chairman, said McGinty is “seriously considering” a run. It is not too late to start a campaign, although timing is crucial for McGinty because of the need to raise money under the strict federal contribution limits of $2,700 per person, Groen said.

The 2016 Senate election in Pennsylvania promises to be expensive and closely watched, with control of the Senate on the line. A victory over Toomey in Pennsylvania, where Democrats outnumber registered Republicans by a four-to-three margin, is key to their strategy to regaining the majority.

Party elites long complained about Sestak, saying he has maverick tendencies and does not return their help. That propelled a search for someone else.

“Based on the fact I have not seen a consensus for (Sestak’s) candidacy, there may be a potential opening for a candidate with sufficient resources to bring a formidable challenge,” said John Cordisco, the chairman of the Bucks County Democratic Party.

Sestak, 63, a former Navy vice admiral and two-term congressman from Delaware County, is known as a gritty, aggressive campaigner who built up considerable good will from rank-and-file Democrats. He has become a regular on the local Democratic party event circuit around Pennsylvania since 2010.

He has yet to report how much cash his campaign had through June 30, the latest federal reporting period, and a campaign spokeswoman declined to say. Instead, the campaign is more focused on other benchmarks, such as volunteers passing out brochures at more than 100 Independence Day parades or fireworks displays, a spokeswoman said.

Toomey, 53, won the 2010 midterm election during a strong Republican wave.

The fiscally conservative former congressman and investment banker is popular with free market and anti-tax groups that have a lot of money to spend to influence elections. Toomey is also squeaky clean and worked to establish a centrist image.

His campaign last week began airing a TV ad to highlight his work for Senate passage of legislation designed to help prevent child molesters from working in schools.

Toomey’s campaign spent nearly $17 million to win the 2010 campaign and is already reporting more than $8 million in its account, as of June 30.