What to know about Pennsylvania's attorney general race
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Eugene DePasquale (left) and Dave Sunday. Photo illustration: Axios Visuals; Photos: Courtesy of DePasquale campaign and Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
Pennsylvania's race for attorney general is heating up.
Why it matters: The AG has a massive budget to prosecute crime and corruption, and has weighed in on nationally important issues. Plus, the office has served as a launchpad for some of the state's future governors.
The big picture: Democrat Eugene DePasquale and Republican Dave Sunday easily won their primaries after several candidates vied to replace current AG Michelle Henry, a Democrat appointed by Gov. Josh Shapiro to fill his role after he won the 2022 gubernatorial race.
- Henry decided not to run for a full term.
State of play: Donors have poured millions of dollars into the race, as battleground Pennsylvania draws attention in the presidential election, Penn State political science professor Daniel Mallinson told the Pennsylvania Capital-Star.
Context: DePasquale, a former state House lawmaker and state auditor general, ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Rep. Scott Perry's seat before entering the AG race.
- Sunday, a U.S. Navy veteran, has been York County's district attorney since 2018.
Zoom in: DePasquale says he carried a "heavy workload" while serving for eight years as the state's top watchdog, where he went after "bullies" and "bad actors" and produced a report that reduced the state's rape kit backlog.
- He's vowed to remain an "independent fighter" who stands up for residents' voting rights and women's reproductive rights.
Meanwhile, Sunday casts himself as a moderate Republican, an expert in criminal law, and someone tough on crime but also compassionate for those struggling with addiction and mental health.
- He has said that he doesn't believe the state's constitution guarantees the right to abortion access and the decision belongs to the Legislature.
- Sunday has since told PennLive that the "best way to … protect women's rights is to enforce the law as it's written."
By the numbers: DePasquale has raised more than $3.2 million from 4,000 donors.
- Sunday has raised $1.3 million — and received a huge advertising blitz from a PAC backed by GOP mega-donor Jeff Yass, Pennsylvania's richest man.
Key endorsements:
- DePasquale: Pennsylvania State Corrections Officers Association, Democratic Attorneys General Association, Planned Parenthood Pennsylvania Advocates
- Sunday: Pennsylvania State Lodge Fraternal Order of Police, Pennsylvania State Troopers Association, Republican Attorneys General Association