- Joe Sestak officially announced his run for the presidency on June 22, 2019.
- He has been virtually absent from the public eye since then as his daughter was going through her second bout with brain cancer.
- Consequently, healthcare is a large part of his campaign.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Joe Sestak is not a name you hear often when speaking about the Democratic candidates running for a chance at the 2020 Presidential Election. While not much traction has occurred in terms of his campaign, Sestak has had quite a career. He served with the United States Navy for 31 years, retiring as a Vice-admiral. After the Navy, he became involved in congress as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives in Pennsylvania. He was a representative for four years.
His Campaign For The Democratic Nomination
Candidates for the Democratic nomination have been in the spotlight for some time. Sestak made his announcement to run pretty late in the game. Since then, he began dealing with family issues and campaigning was not his main focus. This has caused a problem in his overall public view as many have not heard of him, giving him little to no election odds to speak of.
Sestak has not yet qualified for a Democratic Debate and it is unlikely he will meet the deadline in late August to gain a place on the stage for the third debate. However, he is now going around discussing his views on the United States government and changes he would make should he be elected.
Due to his daughter’s history with illness, he would like to begin healthcare reform in a Medicare-for-all kind of way. His model for this proposal takes a lot of its elements from the way the Veterans Health Administration operates. He hopes the public will be on board with this idea as well as acknowledge his overall background in service to the United States to help catapult him into the race.
While healthcare reform is his main focus, he would also like to take on foreign policy. Seeing firsthand what war is like has helped give him more insight into other countries. Climate change and agriculture issues will all be dealt with from what he’s learned by way of the Navy. He’d also like to put an end to supporting the fossil fuels industry which would help with climate issues. Education is on his list as well, wanting to make colleges more financially accessible and universal pre-K available to all.
“What this nation most yearns for and most wants is someone who is accountable to them. Not to party. Not to ideology. Not to self. Not to any special interests,” said Sestak to Vox. “That’s what America needs, someone who people actually believe — as they did in my district — is willing to be accountable to them.”
Sestak has a history of going against those in his own political party. He believes it’s a good thing as it shows the public his views can be independent of his opponents if he thinks its what’s best for the people. His ideas are in line with that of his opponents so he’s hoping he can show the country that he would like to continue to serve by means of the presidency. He wants his Patriotism to shine through to the voters for the duration of his campaign.