Eugene DePasquale, Dave Sunday will battle for Attorney General in November

The general election matchup for Pennsylvania attorney general is set now that voters have chosen their nominees for the Nov. 5 contest, with former Democratic state Auditor General Eugene DePasquale and Republican York County District Attorney Dave Sunday taking their respective primaries with relative ease on Tuesday. 

DePasquale was projected as the winner of the Democratic primary around 10 p.m. with 297,747 votes, or 28%, doubling up the totals of second-place finisher jack Stollsteimer. Sunday won his primary in even more convincing fashion, being projected as the winner with 436,071 votes, or 46.1%, more than doubling the tally of runner-up Craig Williams.

Dems

A crowded field of Democratic candidates was largely in agreement on issues ranging from public safety to worker protections. The race for the Democratic nomination included a field of five: former Auditor General Eugene DePasquale, former Bucks County Solicitor Joe Khan, former Philadelphia Chief Public Defender Keir Bradford-Grey, state Rep. Jared Solomon and Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer.  

DePasquale was the first to throw his hat into the ring last year; his candidacy came on the heels of an unsuccessful challenge of U.S. Rep. Scott Perry for the 10th congressional seat in 2020. Khan was second to enter the race, announcing his run last June as he worked as a public sector attorney at Yardley’s Curtin & Heefner LLP. 

Bradford-Grey, a partner in Montgomery McCracken’s litigation department, announced her candidacy in June, not long after Khan. 

Solomon and Stollsteimer wouldn’t enter the race until later in 2023, with Solomon announcing his candidacy in September and Stollsteimer formally entering the race in November. 

Geography and local ties were expected to play a big role in determining who came out on top. Khan, Bradford-Grey and Solomon have all spoken on their Philadelphia upbringing and their experience working in the city, while the bulk of Stollsteimer’s experience is just a bit south in Delaware County. 

Meanwhile, DePasquale – the only candidate to have success in a statewide election – has touted his Pittsburgh roots and ties to Harrisburg. A native of the Steel City, DePasquale has gotten endorsements from organizations across the state and even earned the endorsement of The Philadelphia Inquirer’s editorial board, which chose the former lawmaker and fiscal watchdog over any of the local candidates. 

The Democratic Party ultimately declined to endorse a candidate in December, although DePasquale received the most support during his party’s endorsement meeting. With a potentially split vote in the southeast and name recognition across the commonwealth, DePasquale seemed to be in the best position leading into Tuesday’s primary. 

In a statement Tuesday night acknowledging his win, DePasquale said: “This campaign is about every Pennsylvanian - to protect democracy, protect abortion rights, and stand up for working folks.”

GOP

In the Republican primary, Dave Sunday, who routinely highlighted his record as York County District Attorney and his focus on balancing the concepts of accountability and redemption, faced off against GOP state Rep. Craig Williams, a two-term state lawmaker from Chester and Delaware counties, who leaned on his experience as a legislator and chief prosecutor for the U.S. Marine Corps. 

Late last year, the Republican Attorneys General Association, also known as RAGA, endorsed Sunday in the statewide race for AG, and the Pennsylvania Republican Party followed suit in January. Sunday also spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference in February, where he explained his criminal justice philosophy. 

But even with Sunday’s long list of endorsements, Williams sought to make the GOP primary a competitive race, positioning himself as a candidate who could win in November, telling City & State in March that he has a history of winning difficult elections. 

“I’ve already proven that I’m a winner, that I win on ideas, I win on the strength of my background, I win on the strength of my character and the strength of my leadership style,” Williams told City & State. 

Both candidates made combating crime a focal point of the GOP primary, with Sunday highlighting his work to address violence in York County and connect certain offenders with substance abuse and mental health support. Throughout the campaign, Williams stressed the importance of reducing violent crime, reducing elder abuse and using the office to address addiction in the commonwealth.