Democrat DePasquale, Republican Sunday win Pa. attorney general primaries

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A Democrat with a track record of winning a statewide row office has secured his party’s nomination for Pennsylvania attorney general.

Eugene DePasquale emerged victorious from a crowded field of primary candidates that included Keir Bradford-Grey, Joe Khan, Jared Solomon and Jack Stollsteimer. With no incumbent in the race, the state party didn’t endorse any candidate.

On the Republican ticket, York County District Attorney Dave Sunday defeated state Rep. Craig Williams.

Sunday and DePasquale will go head-to-head during November’s general election to replace Democratic Attorney General Michelle Henry.

DePasquale, a graduate of Widener University Commonwealth Law School, got his start in 2002 as the director for the City of York Department of Economic Development. He also served as deputy secretary for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

DePasquale is no stranger to Harrisburg. He served two terms as Pennsylvania’s auditor general, transforming a quiet state office into a constant newsmaker. Under his leadership, publicly announced audits from Harrisburg became commonplace. He led a query looking into a reduced backlog in rape kits and his office discovered that the state’s fuel tax was used to fund state police. DePasquale also served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 2007 to 2013.

As part of his campaign for attorney general, DePasquale is prioritizing abortion rights, democracy, consumer protections, public corruption, the environment and the enshrinement of LGBTQ rights.

“As attorney general, I will take on corrupt behavior by elected and appointed officials, government employees, and those doing business with city, state and federal government,” DePasquale said. “In my previous role as auditor general I uncovered corruption in multiple government agencies, stopping it at the source. I will always stand for what is right and work to preserve government integrity.”

Sunday, a Navy veteran, has held office since 2018. The Widener Law School graduate served as a law clerk in the York County Court of Common Pleas and eventually worked his way up to leading litigation within the district attorney’s office.

He was also appointed as a special assistant U.S. attorney for Pennsylvania’s federal court to prosecute gang cases. Sunday helped establish the York County Heroin Task Force, now known as the York Opioid Collaborative. He was the first Republican to enter the race for attorney general and he received the Pennsylvania Republican Party’s endorsement.

As part of his campaign, Sunday is touting his record as York County’s top prosecutor.

“District Attorney Sunday’s collaborative approach to public safety resulted in a 30% decrease in crime during his first term; reductions in the prison population by almost 40% since its peak; a reduced supervision caseload; and a recent study conducted by IUP indicates that offenders in York have the lowest recidivism rate over a five-year period as compared to seven other counties,” his campaign site said.

Forward Party candidate Eric Settle is also in the race, however, there is no guarantee he formally ends up on the ballot.