It may not have the star power of the 2004 presidential election, but this November's upcoming election is generating heat in Pennsylvania.
And the candidates are already working to win Penn students' votes.
Hotly contested elections are springing up across the state.
Incumbent Republican Senator Rick Santorum -- a social conservative who has been in office since 1994 -- is facing a challenge from state Treasurer Bob Casey, Jr.
Penn alumnus and Democratic Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell is also up for re-election, heading up against former National Football League star Lynn Swann.
The United States Congressional election, on the other hand, will not likely be as competitive.
Incumbent Rep. Chaka Fattah -- who represents West Philadelphia -- is running against Republican attorney Michael Gessner, but is expected to easily win the heavily Democratic 2nd district.
Fattah is also anticipated to announce his candidacy for mayor of Philadelphia in 2007, however.
Members of both parties are optimistic that they will end up victorious come November, and several candidates are planning aggressive campaigns on campus.
"We will have a traditional get out the vote effort targeted specifically at students, reminding people who are registered to vote that they should vote," said Rendell campaign spokesman Dan Fee.
Penn's campus is overwhelmingly blue. A Daily Pennsylvanian poll estimated that almost 70 percent of students planned to vote Democratic in the 2004 election, and some credit high turnout from Pennsylvania college students with the state swinging in favor of John Kerry that year.
So the strategy for Penn Democrats President Nathan Hake is to get everyone on campus who is eligible registered to vote -- and then make sure they know there's an election to vote in.
"The big thing is to get the people on campus out to vote," the College junior said. "When they vote, they'll vote Democrat."
The Penn Democrats are planning heavy grassroots organizing to publicize the elections and campaign issues they say are important to Penn students, like a strong economy that offers jobs after graduation and improving the United States' reputation abroad.
Hake said his organization was joining with several others -- like the Penn Republicans and Fox Leadership -- to help make sure students are registered on time and know where their polling places are.
"We have to work a little bit harder to find our voters and get them out of their rooms and make them feel comfortable," Penn Republicans Chairman and Wharton junior Michael Shieley said. But "it isn't a one party campus."
Shieley recognizes that the majority of Penn students vote Democrat, but his group still works hard to court potential voters.
"We're outnumbered significantly, [but] per person we do a pretty good job of trying to get the word out and trying to be as visible on campus as we can."
Despite Penn's tendency to go blue, however, Republican candidates say they are eager to woo the youth vote. For example, the Rick Santorum's campaign is planning "aggressive" online advertising and blogs to reach students and young voters.
The 18-24 age demographic historically has had poor showings at the polls, but voter turnout on Penn's campus was up an estimated 280 percent in 2004 -- a figure that impresses Pennsylvania candidates.
Santorum is "going to work just as aggressively on a college campus that voted a majority for Kerry," Santorum campaign spokeswoman Virginia Davis said. "The senator doesn't take any vote for granted."
