Alum goes for U.S. Senate seat

University alumnus Joe Watkins is making a splash into the national political scene and hopes to develop his "vision of a great state" by representing Pennsylvania in Congress. In early February, Watkins, a Baptist minister, announced his candidacy for the Republican party primary for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Harris Wofford (D-Pa.). While he did not receive the Republican party endorsement, Watkins is trying hard to emerge from relative obscurity and win the race for the Republican nomination in the May primary. Watkins has already gotten a taste of the national media spotlight because of his controversial hiring of Edward Rollins as a campaign strategist. Rollins, who offered to work for free, gained national attention for accusations he made against recently elected New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman. Rollins, a strategist for Whitman's campaign, said her campaign paid black ministers to withhold their support from Democratic incumbent Jim Florio. He later retracted and apologized for his statement. "I was impressed with his sincerity because when I went to visit him in Washington, he told me about what had happened in New Jersey, and about how sorry he was," Watkins said of Rollins. "He apologized to me personally," Watkins added. "I was delighted to forgive him. The tenets of the faith that I follow say that if somebody wrongs you or makes a mistake and asks for your forgiveness then you are to forgive them, and I didn't see anything wrong in doing that." Watkins terms himself a "candidate of hope, change and leadership." "Part of the excitement of serving as a member of the U.S. Senate is being creative -- to find solutions to problems that currently face our society, and I know I can do that," he said. As an undergraduate, Watkins participated in many activities at the University from 1971 to 1975. He was an editorial cartoonist for The Daily Pennsylvanian, a Resident Advisor, a member of the Black Student League, the Campus Crusade for Christ and Penn Players. He also played on the freshman basketball and varsity track teams. Watkins served as Assistant to University President Sheldon Hackney in the mid 1980s, in a position which he terms "helping with minority presence." In his capacity, he raised money to provide minority faculty and staff opportunities. "What I tell students, and what I still impart to students is that so much of the learning that takes place, at least for me?is what I learned outside the classroom," Watkins said. "And the people I met and the relationships I formed have really been life-lasting." Watkins worked on the election campaign of former President George Bush in 1988 and served as associate director of the Office of the Public Liaison under Bush from from 1989 to 1991.