WITHDRAWN: December 1, 2019

Joe Sestak emphasized his 31-year military career and is calling for the restoration of U.S. leadership in the world. “Our country desperately needs a president with a depth of global experience and an understanding of all the elements of our nation’s power,” he said in a video released on his campaign website.

Accomplishments: Sestak graduated second in his class at the United States Naval Academy and spent more than 30 years in the Navy, rising to the rank of a three-star admiral. In 2002, he led a carrier strike group during combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. Between military tours, Sestak earned a doctorate in government and political economy from Harvard University. He later served two terms in the U.S. Congress, representing eastern Pennsylvania, and mounted two unsuccessful runs for the U.S. Senate.

Foreign policy: Sestak warned in his campaign video of the dangers of China’s growing global influence, including its “virtual monopoly” of high-technology manufacturing and its efforts to build 5G communication networks, which he called “arguably the greatest threat of all.” He said China’s ownership of 5G networks “will give it a police-state capability to surveil everything on the network, both for commercial and intelligence purposes.”

What sets him apart: Sestak is one of only a few Democratic candidates who has served in the military. He also has a reputation for being a maverick in his party and has been at odds with party leaders. He defied the Democratic leadership in 2010, when he mounted a primary challenge against fellow Democrat Arlen Specter for his Senate seat. Sestak won the primary, but lost the general election to Republican Pat Toomey. When Sestak sought a rematch against Toomey in 2016, Democrats recruited a primary challenger who defeated him.

Platform: Sestak says strong action is needed to deal with climate change, corporate accountability and China’s growing influence. He supports expanding health care, funding early child education and raising corporate taxes.