Walking alone and in the dark, a 63-year-old man emerged on the edge of Shippensburg on March 16. Despite his weariness, he held his head high and a smile could be seen stretching across his face from the light of passing motorists.

His name is Joe Sestak, a former three-star admiral of the U.S. Navy and a former U.S. representative from Pennsylvania’s 7th congressional district, who walked from Carlisle to Shippensburg as a part of his 422-mile walk across the state.

The trek is part of Sestak’s political campaign to unseat incumbent Sen. Pat Toomey in the 2016 Pennsylvania Senate election.

Sestak, who lost to Toomey in the 2010 election by a margin of approximately 2 percent, said people no longer have trust in the current political leaders.

“That’s why I’m walking — to gain their trust,” he said, on the evening he arrived at Shippensburg. “I think [trust] is the biggest deficit we have in America.”

The unconventional, on-foot campaign began on March 4, in Philadelphia, and since then Sestak has stopped in numerous towns to talk to local residents about various issues.

Every stop had a particular theme, and for Shippensburg it was “walking with first responders.” Sestak met with community members on March 17 in the Wheel House Cafe prior to continuing on to Shade Gap, Pennsylvania.

More than a dozen people attended the event to discuss issues ranging from funding of emergency response services to fighting the Islamic State (IS).

“I’m fascinated by the campaign,” Catherine Clay, a Shippensburg University history professor said, adding that Sestak’s walk is not only a brilliant idea, but also a good way to reach out to different audiences.

Sestak made it clear that his opponent repeatedly voted against several grants that would have helped fund fire departments and other first responder agencies throughout the commonwealth.

He stressed the importance of having fire, law enforcement and emergency medical services departments adequately funded and equipped with the resources they need to serve the people of Pennsylvania.

“If trust is so important then what I say isn’t enough, it’s that I must do what I say,” Sestak said.

He also expressed his desire to work with other lawmakers when appropriate to avoid continued divisiveness in Congress, which is a root cause of distrust. He said disagreements are normal but are to be respected.

Pennsylvania’s infrastructure became a discussion point when one resident brought up concerns about the dwindling funds of the state’s highway trust fund.

Sestak said he recognized the poor conditions of roads and bridges while walking from town to town, and provided several suggestions to increase funding — one of which is to invest in public-private ventures, commonly called PPV’s.

The political candidate also touched on education and the important role community colleges play in the state.

“I think education is our homeland defense,” he said.

Clay, who attended a portion of the event and talked to Sestak afterward, said she found him to be knowledgeable, excited and representative of important values to her.

The two discussed international affairs between Russia and the United States, and Clay said she was overall comfortable with his foreign policy views.

Sestak shared his opinions on how Congress and the president reacted to IS aggression in the Middle East, saying the president reacted slowly and Congress has thus far been unable to accomplish much of value.

He was also highly critical of a letter sent to Iran from some members of Congress, which stated if a nuclear deal was made between President Barack Obama and Iran, Congress may not recognize or support it.

Sestak referred to the move, which Toomey was a part of, as reckless and destructive.

At the close of the event, Sestak vowed to be held accountable in office for what he says during his campaign, and he will not vote in Washington, D.C., in a way that does not reflect his platform.

“I’m a big believer in accountability,” he said.

After finishing his cup of coffee and receiving applause from the attendees, Sestak spoke to several people one-on-one before heading out the door. Before he left he invited everyone to join him for as long as they wished for the next leg of his journey.

A small group of people walked with him into Shippensburg, heading south on Route 696. Sestak, seeing a historical marker, stopped to read it aloud. The ensuing conversation prompted him to share photographs of the local area that he thought represented the beauty of Pennsylvania. These included churches, American flags on display in resident’s yards, dairy farms and a house roofed with solar panels.

Sestak said his favorite part about walking his campaign is when people stop to strike up a conversation with him. He was also impressed with how many times he was offered a ride.

The idea to walk more than 400 hundreds miles across the state arose a year ago as a viable plan. He was inspired to make the trek by a painting his daughter made of two red shoes and the phrase, “Joe Sestak is walking in your shoes,” next to them.

A popular quote from Lee Harper’s “To Kill a Mockingbird,” about understanding people once you walk in their shoes, also played a role, Sestak said.

He recalled walking across the Market Street Bridge in Harrisburg while cold wind hit him in the face, and it made him think about what the homeless must experience.

“You can’t buy that,” he said, referring to the perspectives he gained.

Recently, the campaign, which he has weathered through rain and snow, took Sestak into the area around Johnstown. It will be about a week until it is complete.

Share