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Democrat Joe Sestak made it official Wednesday morning: He wants a rematch with Republican U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey.

To kick off his second Senate bid, the retired Navy admiral who earned a reputation last time as a tireless campaigner is walking across Pennsylvania, from the Delaware River to the Ohio border.

Before beginning that trek, Sestak stood across from Independence Hall to formally declare his candidacy in the 2016 election. The two-term congressman from Delaware County told a crowd of about 60 gathered in a light rain that he wants to walk in the shoes of Pennsylvanians as he aims to restore their trust in government and their public officials.

"The largest deficit we have today in America is not the debt. It's trust deficit," Sestak said, wearing his signature flight jacket. "We just don't believe that our leaders would actually say something here in Pennsylvania and then do the same thing."

He extended that criticism to Toomey, the Lehigh County lawmaker who Sestak said has not kept his promises to support programs that aid veterans and the homeless.

After urging the crowd to join him as he travels the state, Sestak swapped out his high-top Reebok sneakers for a pair of tan combat boots and started walking.

Sestak, 63, is the only candidate to enter the Senate race thus far against Toomey, though a handful of other Democratic names have been floated as potential candidates.

Before facing off with Toomey in the 2010 general election, Sestak earned a major victory in the primary when he defeated longtime incumbent Sen. Arlen Specter. He later lost to Toomey by 2 percentage points.

Since then, Sestak has been teaching college courses and continuing to traverse the commonwealth, clocking 400 appearances during the last two years.

Even if the names on the general election ballot end up mirroring those in 2010, Sestak and Toomey would be competing in a different political climate. Unlike five years ago, Toomey will be trying to hold onto his seat in a year with a presidential battle at the top of the ticket, a dynamic expected to boost Democratic turnout, particularly in Philadelphia.

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Joe Sestak kicks off Senate bid against Pat Toomey