GOP U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, who has often battled with conservatives in the Republican Party, intends to switch parties, the AP is reporting.
The news service says that an official announcement will come later today.
Here is the dispatch out of Washington written by veteran AP correspondent Dave Espo:
Several officials say veteran Republican Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania intends to switch parties, advancing his own hopes of winning a new term next year while pushing Democrats one step closer to a 60-vote filibuster-resistant majority.
The sources said an announcement could come later in the day — or Wednesday. The officials who provided the information did so on condition of anonymity, saying they were not authorized to discuss his plans.
Specter is a 79-year-old veteran of five Senate terms, and one of only a handful of moderate Republicans left in Congress in a party made up largely of conservatives.
Specter is facing a stiff challenge in his re-election effort from a more conservative candidate.