PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The five candidates seeking Democratic nomination in the Pennsylvania attorney general race met at KYW Newsradio’s studios Wednesday for a live debate ahead of the primary election on Tuesday, April 23.
🎧 Listen to the full debate
The candidates
Joe Khan
Former US Attorney and Bucks County solicitor Joe Khan says he would use the “unique powers of the attorney general’s office to create a housing justice unit.
“We all know that the housing crisis impacts every community in Pennsylvania, rural, urban, and suburban, and it requires someone that wants to be held accountable for what they do or don't do.”
Eugene DePasquale
Former Pennsylvania State Rep. and Auditor General Eugene DePasquale says, in addition to protecting voters’ rights, he will “protect abortion rights, take on the crooks trying to scam our seniors every single day, and also be the environmental attorney general.”
Jared Solomon
Northeast Philadelphia State Rep. Jared Solomon says he wants to get back to the roots of the Democratic party and “really take on those big corporations that are not trying to help people in our communities.”
Kier Bradford-Grey
Former head of the Philadelphia and Montgomery County public defenders offices Kier Bradford-Grey says she’ll “give children a fighting chance to thrive.”
“We're going to make sure that families have financial protections, and we're going to make sure that families have the opportunity to have health care access, whether that is physical health or mental health.”
Jack Stollsteimer
The Delaware County District Attorney says he’ll continue the work he’s done in his current job.
“The most important fights I've made that I've got to be passionate about are wage theft and the work I've done in the City of Chester to stop the gun violence. I'm going to do that for every community in Pennsylvania.”
KYW’s Suburban Bureau Chief Jim Melwert and Community Impact reporter Racquel Williams hosted the debate, asking the candidates how they would address many issues in the state, including one of the most pressing ones: gun violence.
Tackling Gun Violence
Each year 1,600 Pennsylvanians die from gun violence, and 3,000 more are injured, according to CeaseFirePA.
Williams asked the candidates what they would do to tackle this issue.
Stollsteimer reflected on his work as district attorney and federal prosecutor in Philadelphia, and a strategy called “focused deterrents.”
“Bringing the community and police together, we focus on the one percent of people who commit 75 to 80% of the shootings and we offer them a carrot and a stick. They’ve taken us up on it — we’ve reduced the number of shootings by 72% over the last four years.”
Solomon says he’ll do what he’s done in Northeast Philly.
“Protection from special interest driving money to the gun violence task force to get illegal ghost guns off of our street.”
He says an expanded view of safety is what Pennsylvania needs.
Khan said he would take the same approach he used 17 years ago as federal prosecutor.
“By working with the community, we brought agencies together, we brought team members together, we intervened with arrest, and then we worked our way up the system to solve unsolved homicides and to shut down gun trafficking that was happening in the community.”
DePasquale wants to crack down on illegal gun dealers.
“We need to hold them punishable to the fullest extent of the law, but we also need to focus on suicide. Two-thirds of all firearm deaths in Pennsylvania are the result of suicide.”
Bradford-Grey, also wants to tackle illegal guns, saying they’re accessible by people who should not have them.
“I know what that looks like, and I know how to target that appropriately, so I will ensure that all of the sales will be legal and will follow the common sense gun laws on the books.”
septa safety
In December, Pennsylvania passed a law that gives a special prosecutor jurisdiction over crime on SEPTA. The Attorney General is tasked with appointing that position — the acting attorney general hasn't done so yet.
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner contends the law is unconstitutional. He says it subverts the will of voters in the city.
Melwert asked the candidates if they think this law should be implemented. And, if so, will they appoint and oversee this position?
Khan feels this is a terrible policy.
“This was pushed by the same people that I pleaded with to let Philadelphia and other cities pass common sense gun laws. These are the same folks who refuse to provide SEPTA the funding it needs to have more police officers and to keep riders and workers safe, and it makes me outraged as someone who grew up in the city, who still has family in the city, to see the tragedies unfolding on SEPTA being used as political theater, and what I see as a stunt that does nothing to keep Philadelphia or anywhere else more safe.”
DePasquale thinks how the legislature approached it was wrong.
“I think there could have been a significantly better approach to someone that rode public transportation to go to school as a kid, it's important to me that we have public safety there. But there could have been a better approach. Having said that, if the courts say it is constitutional, I'll work with the district attorney and others to implement it as effectively as possible to make sure people riding SEPTA are protected and safe.”
Bradford-Grey says she wants real public safety in the city.
“I live in this city, and I don't want a facade of public safety. And I do agree that this is a facade — to have one special prosecutor come in and cherry pick cases is not going to solve our problems here in Philadelphia. We need to make sure that police have the resources they need, and make sure that the district attorney has the resources that they need and any attorney general that has resources to help improve the quality of investigations so that the convictions are final. That's where we need to be. And I'll work with any district attorney to bring resources to their investigation so that we can make sure that our decisions are credible.”
Solomon says he voted against Act 40 and feels this is a continuation of the effort to impeach the district attorney.
“That was unconstitutional. My caucus chose me to stand against that constant unconstitutional move. This is along the same lines. This is simply an attempt to silence the voices, the voters in Philadelphia. What we need to be doing is moving forward on the approach I'm taking in Northeast Philadelphia, and common sense gun reforms.”
Stollsteimer says SEPTA is critical to the economic health of our region and they need to do everything they can to keep people safe on it, including the workers.
“My dad was a SEPTA bus driver. So, for me, this is personal. I spent most of my childhood on that system. I don't think this is the smartest approach. If the legislature asked me my opinion, I would have said put more money to transit police — have a police officer on buses, platforms and trains. But I will use the powers whatever the tools they give us in the toolbox to save SEPTA and to protect the people who ride that system.”
Despite several recent homicides, SEPTA says serious crime is down by 45% compared to the first quarter of 2023.
The candidates were also asked about their approaches to combating mass incarceration and the opioid crisis. Take a listen in the player below to hear their responses:
Attempts to organize a debate between the two candidates seeking the Republican nomination — York County District Attorney Dave Sunday and former federal prosecutor and Delaware County State Rep. Craig Williams —were unsuccessful. Sunday declined the invitation to participate.
Information on Sunday and Williams can be found here.