Last updated on April 24, 9:30 a.m.
PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Pennsylvania voters have decided that York County District Attorney Dave Sunday will face off against former state representative and auditor general Eugene DePasquale in the Nov. 5 general election. Sunday secured 70% of the GOP vote in the primary, while DePasquale took a majority in the crowded Democratic primary with about 35%.
Primary election results
DePasquale served two terms as auditor general and three terms as a state representative, also in York County. He cruised to victory in a five-way race for the Democratic primary thanks in large part to a geographic advantage, as his four opponents are all from Philadelphia and neighboring counties. He received nearly twice as many votes as second-place contender Jack Stollsteimer, the district attorney of Delaware County.
DePasquale said in addition to protecting voters’ rights, he’s “going to protect abortion rights, take on the crooks trying to scam our seniors every single day, and also be the environmental attorney general.”
Sunday said as district attorney of York County, he has reduced crime and drug use countywide, despite dealing with spill-over crime from Baltimore.
“We created a clinic where the police have a place to take people that can get immediate mental health assessments. And as a result of that, they can go into outpatient treatment. This is the type of collaborative partnership that can be done when you’re willing to work together,” he said.
Sunday said he isn’t focused on an agenda, other than listening to the needs of Pennsylvanians.
“I’m not coming into this with a preconceived mission other than to be fair and just,” he added. “What we’ll do is listen to people. I want to listen to corporate Pennsylvania, I want to listen to the citizens — I mean, just like I do now, as a DA.”
Sunday topped his competitor, Delaware County state Rep. Craig Williams.
More primary results: Biden and Trump won primary races; Malcolm Kenyatta took Democratic nomination for auditor general
Last week, KYW Newsradio hosted a live debate among the five Democratic candidates running for their party’s nomination — DePasquale; Stollsteimer; former chief public defender for Philadelphia, Kier Bradford-Grey; former Bucks County Solicitor Joe Khan; and Philadelphia-based state Rep. Jared Solomon.
A similar Republican debate between Sunday and Williams was made impossible when Sunday declined an invitation to participate.
The main duties of the attorney general include prosecuting crimes, directing statewide grand juries, defending the laws of Pennsylvania, and representing the state in the event of an audit or federal prosecution.
The attorney general oversees hundreds of employees divided among criminal, civil, and public protection divisions; sits on the Board of Pardons; and appoints the state’s consumer advocate. And, apart from the particulars of the job, the Office of the Attorney General is often a stepping stone to the governor’s office. Just ask Gov. Josh Shapiro and former Republican Gov. Tom Corbett.