Bud Haabestad

After graduating, Haabestad served in the United States Navy and worked for Hydrol Chemical, becoming president in 1966.^[1] In 1964, he founded Unitex Products, a paper clothing manufacturing company based in Lester, Pennsylvania.^[11] Unitex merged with a larger firm five years later. In 1971, he founded TECA Inc., a paper products company.^[1] Haabestad remained president of Hydrol Chemical Company until it was acquired by Embalmers Supply Company in 2023.^[12]

Haabestad served on the Delaware County Planning Commission from 1972 to 1974 and was a member of the Radnor Township, Pennsylvania board of commissioners from 1973 to 1977. In 1977, he was elected to the Delaware County council.^[1]

In 1978, Haabestad was gubernatorial nominee Dick Thornburgh's handpicked candidate for Republican state committee chairman. He was elected by acclamation after incumbent Dick Filling dropped out agreed to drop out for the sake of party unity.^[13] Under his leadership, the party was able to reduce its debt from $400,000 to $100,000.^[14] However, many county party leaders were upset with Haabestad due to a lack of patronage jobs in the Thornburgh administration.^[15]

In 1980, United States Senator Richard Schweiker unexpectedly announced he would not run for reelection. Because Dick Thornburgh had only been Governor for only a year, he did not want to seek the seat. Arlen Specter sought to succeed Schweiker, but Thornburgh did not support his candidacy because he feared Specter would create "another power center within the party" and was wary of his multiple losses since 1969. When William Scranton III elected not to run, Thornburgh convinced Haabestad to enter the race.^[16] Haabestad was also endorsed by U.S. Senator John Heinz and Philadelphia Republican boss William Meehan.^[17] Thornburgh and Heniz hoped to have Haabestad nominated by the Republican state committee, but it instead voted to have an open primary. Once the primary was announced, Schweiker endorsed Haabestad over Specter.^[18] Although Haabestad was favored by party leaders, Specter had much greater name recognition with voters.^[14] Specter defeated Haabestad by about 37,000 votes and beat Democratic nominee Peter F. Flaherty in the general election.^[19]

Haabestad did not run for reelection as party chairman in 1980 and was succeeded by Martha Bell Schoeninger, who was seen as an anti-Thornburgh candidate.^[15] He also did not seek reelection to the county council, citing to business commitments.^[20]