Who is Jared Solomon, a Democrat running for Pa. attorney general?

This story originally appeared on Spotlight PA.

Pennsylvania voters will elect a new attorney general this November, but Democrats and Republicans first must pick their candidates this spring.

Jared Solomon is one of five Democrats running for his party’s nomination and will appear on the April 23 primary ballot.

The attorney general represents the interests of the state and the public, and defends Pennsylvania’s laws in court. In recent years, the office has defended the results of the 2020 presidential election against numerous attempts to overturn them.

Learn more about Solomon below:

Who is Jared Solomon?

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Born in Philadelphia, Solomon attended Swarthmore College and Villanova University’s Charles Widger School of Law.

After working at a Philadelphia law firm, he joined the Army Reserves as a Judge Advocate General’s Corps (JAG) officer; he remains active as a defense lawyer for the Pennsylvania National Guard.

Solomon has represented the 202nd District in the state House, which encompasses part of northeast Philadelphia, since 2017.

As a state representative, Solomon has championed good-government bills targeting issues such as banning public officials from receiving most gifts, opening primaries, and tightening campaign finance rules; none have become law.

He did find some rare success, however, passing bills in the then-Republican-controlled General Assembly in his first few terms in office. That includes a 2022 law that allows local governments to offer tax incentives to spur the creation of affordable housing, and a 2017 law creating a voluntary state veterans registry to connect them with public services.

At the request of Democratic leadership, Solomon served as minority party impeachment manager for Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner in 2022. Managers are charged with presenting the case for removal to the state Senate. However, no trial was held due to procedural issues and court challenges; Solomon himself voted against the effort and called it “a naked attempt to remove an elected official just because they disagree.”

Top issues: As a state representative, Solomon said his top issues are reducing crime and gun violence, promoting public schools, and defending abortion access. As attorney general, he said he would prioritize these issues on a larger scale and focus on protecting voter rights, promoting communities, and fighting corruption.

When asked how he would address violent crime during a March debate, Solomon highlighted bills he’s backed in the state House, including a proposed assault weapons ban.

He also cited state funding he helped secure for the nonprofit People Acting To Help, which works with Philadelphia police to provide diversion services, and for the Gun Violence Task Force; the latter is a collaborative effort between the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General and Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office that provides additional resources to investigate gun crimes.

Endorsements: Democratic members of the legislature including state House Majority Leader Matt Bradford; organizations including the Pennsylvania Professional Fire Fighters Association, UFCW Local 1776 Keystone State, VoteVets, and Local 22: the Philadelphia Firefighters’ and Paramedics’ Union.

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