TONIGHT. YASMIN. THAT’S RIGHT GUYS. IT WAS A VERY, VERY CROWDED RACE FOR PENNSYLVANIA ATTORNEY GENERAL WITH FIVE DEMOCRATS AND TWO REPUBLICANS VYING FOR THAT OPEN SEAT COME NOVEMBER. NOW, ON THE DEMOCRATIC SIDE, DAVE SUNDAY CLINCHED THAT NOMINATION. AND WE JUST LEARNED ABOUT AN HOUR AGO THAT EUGENE DEPASQUALE CLINCHED THAT NOMINATION FOR THE DEMOCRATIC SIDE FOR PENNSYLVANIA ATTORNEY GENERAL. NOW, INCUMBENT MICHELLE HENRY DID ANNOUNCE SHE WOULD NOT BE SEEKING REELECTION IN THIS UPCOMING RACE, HENRY IS FINISHING OUT GOVERNOR JOSH SHAPIRO’S CURRENT TERMS, WHICH WAS LEFT VACATED WHEN SHAPIRO WAS APPOINTED GOVERNOR. DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE DEPASQUALE IS THE ONLY ATTORNEY GENERAL CANDIDATE FROM WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA IN HIS SPEECH, HE SAID IF ELECTED, HIS THREE BIGGEST ISSUES TO TACKLE WOULD BE DEMOCRACY, ABORTION RIGHTS, AND THE RIGHT OF WORKING PEOPLE. OFTEN REFERRING TO REPUBLICAN OPPONENT DAVE SUNDAY AS A MAGA EXTREMIST, SAYING IF PENNSYLVANIA HAD TO CHOOSE BETWEEN EXTREMISM AND COMMON SENSE, HE BELIEVES THE PEOPLE WILL CHOOSE COMMON SENSE. HE SAYS IT WAS HIS RECORD AS FORMER AUDITOR GENERAL OF THE STATE THAT SET HIM ASIDE FROM HIS OTHER DEMOCRATIC OPPONENTS. WELL, I THINK MY RECORD, YOU KNOW, LOOK, UM, I IT WAS MY INVESTIGATION THAT FOUND OVER 3000 UNTESTED RAPE KITS. MY RECORD OF CHILD PROTECTION ACROSS THE STATE, UH, MAKING OUR SCHOOLS SAFER. BUT BEING TOUGH AND FAIR ON BOTH A REPUBLICAN AND A DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR. I THINK THAT’S SOMETHING THAT CLEARLY CUT THROUGH. DEPASQUALE CALLING HIS WIN TONIGHT A WIN FOR THE ENTIRE STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA, SAYING WHEREVER THERE IS A FIGHT TO PROTECT DEMOCRACY AND FREEDOM, HE’LL BE THERE. REPORTING LIVE FROM THE SOUTH SIDE, YASMIN RODRIGUEZ, PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS FOUR. YASMIN, THANKS. AND AS YASMIN JUST TOLD US, ALSO IN THE RACE FOR PENNSYLVANIA ATTORNEY GENERAL DAVE SUNDAY HAS WON THE REPUBLICAN NOMINATION. HERE’S WHAT SUNDAY HAD TO SAY TONIGHT. I’M SO HAPPY TO KNOW THAT PEOPLE ALL ACROSS PENNSYLVANIA EMBRACE AND BELIEVE THAT ACCOUNTABILITY AND REDEMPTION IS WHAT WE NEED. WE HAVE TO HOLD PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE. YOU HAVE TO HAVE ACCOUNTABILITY. BUT ON THE OTHER END OF IT, WE HAVE TO EMBRACE REDEMPTION AS A SOCIETY. AND I JUST COULDN’T BE JUST HAPPIER THAN THAT. THE CITIZENS THROUGHOUT PENNSYLVANIA HAVE EMBRACED THAT, AND I’
Eugene DePasquale beats large Democratic primary field in attorney general race
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Updated: 11:39 AM EDT Apr 24, 2024
Eugene DePasquale won a five-person race for the Democratic nomination to be Pennsylvania’s next attorney general.DePasquale held 36% of the vote in Tuesday's primary, compared to 20% for his closest challenger, Jack Stollsteimer, with 96% of precincts reportingSee full election results from the Pennsylvania primary racesDePasquale served as Pennsylvania’s auditor general from 2013 through 2020. He made an unsuccessful run for Congress in 2020. DePasquale is from Pittsburgh and teaches courses at the University of Pittsburgh."I think my record — it was my investigation that found over 3,000 untested rape kits, my record of child protection across the state, making our schools safer, being tough and fair on both a Republican and a Democratic governor — I think that's something that clearly cut through," DePasquale told Pittsburgh's Action News 4.Depasquale will face Dave Sunday, the winner of the Republican primary, in the November election. The winner of that race will replace outgoing Attorney General Michelle Henry. Henry was appointed by Gov. Josh Shapiro last year to finish out his term as attorney general. She decided not to run for a full term.The attorney general's office has a budget of about $120 million annually and plays a critical role in arresting drug traffickers, fighting gun trafficking, defending state laws in court and protecting consumers from predatory practices.Pennsylvania's Office of Attorney General played a critical role in court defending Joe Biden’s 2020 victory in the presidential battleground against repeated attempts to overturn it in state and federal courts by Donald Trump’s campaign and Republican allies."If we lose our democracy, it's game, set, match on everything," DePasquale said. "But having said that, we have got to make sure that our democracy is working for everybody and that's something I'm going to be fighting for."The Associated Press contributed to this article.
PITTSBURGH — Eugene DePasquale won a five-person race for the Democratic nomination to be Pennsylvania’s next attorney general.
DePasquale held 36% of the vote in Tuesday's primary, compared to 20% for his closest challenger, Jack Stollsteimer, with 96% of precincts reporting
See full election results from the Pennsylvania primary races
DePasquale served as Pennsylvania’s auditor general from 2013 through 2020. He made an unsuccessful run for Congress in 2020. DePasquale is from Pittsburgh and teaches courses at the University of Pittsburgh.
"I think my record — it was my investigation that found over 3,000 untested rape kits, my record of child protection across the state, making our schools safer, being tough and fair on both a Republican and a Democratic governor — I think that's something that clearly cut through," DePasquale told Pittsburgh's Action News 4.
Depasquale will face Dave Sunday, the winner of the Republican primary, in the November election. The winner of that race will replace outgoing Attorney General Michelle Henry.
Henry was appointed by Gov. Josh Shapiro last year to finish out his term as attorney general. She decided not to run for a full term.
The attorney general's office has a budget of about $120 million annually and plays a critical role in arresting drug traffickers, fighting gun trafficking, defending state laws in court and protecting consumers from predatory practices.
Pennsylvania's Office of Attorney General played a critical role in court defending Joe Biden’s 2020 victory in the presidential battleground against repeated attempts to overturn it in state and federal courts by Donald Trump’s campaign and Republican allies.
"If we lose our democracy, it's game, set, match on everything," DePasquale said. "But having said that, we have got to make sure that our democracy is working for everybody and that's something I'm going to be fighting for."
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
