Candidates • Norman W. Bertasavage, candidate for U.S. House in 1976 from
Pottsville •
Bud Haabestad,
Delaware County Councilman •
Edward L. Howard, State Senator from
Doylestown •
Arlen Specter, former
District Attorney of Philadelphia and candidate for Senate in 1976 and Governor in 1978 • Andrew J. Watson, perennial candidate and chair of the Pennsylvania Constitutional Party • Warren R. Williams • Lewis C. Richards •
Francis Worley, former State Representative from
Adams County and candidate for U.S. Senate in 1976 and Lt. Governor in 1978
Campaign Arlen Specter, formerly a member of the Democratic Party, had served as legal counsel to the
Warren Commission, which investigated the 1963 assassination of President
John F. Kennedy, after which he became
District Attorney of
Philadelphia. After Specter was defeated in a 1967 run for
Mayor of Philadelphia, he was then also defeated in his bid for a third term as district attorney. He then ran in the Republican primary in the
1976 Senate election, but was defeated by
John Heinz and also ran in the
1978 gubernatorial election, but was defeated by
Dick Thornburgh in the primary. Shortly after Specter opened a law practice in
Atlantic City, New Jersey, incumbent Republican U.S. Senator
Richard Schweiker unexpectedly announced his decision not to seek re-election to his seat. Specter, believing his reputation as a political
moderate would help him in the general election, decided to run. During the Republican primary, Specter faced state senator
Edward Howard, as well as Delaware County councilman
Bud Haabestad, who was endorsed by Schweiker, then-governor Thornburgh and John Heinz.
Results Specter ultimately defeated Haabestad, his most prominent challenger, by approximately 37,000 votes. ==Democratic primary==