With a veteran Delaware Valley politician sitting in the governor’s office, it’s no surprise that local candidates are playing a featured role in Tuesday’s primaries.
The race for Pennsylvania attorney general will feature the most Delaware Valley politicians on the ballot. Four of the five Democrats are local: Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer, Bucks County Solicitor Joe Khan, Northeast Philly state Rep. Jared Solomon, and Keir Bradford-Grey, who has served as Chief Defender for Montgomery County and Philadelphia.
Pittsburgh native Eugene DePasquale, who served three terms as a state House lawmaker and was the state auditor general for two terms, is also on the Democratic ballot for attorney general.
Rep. Craig Williams (Chester/Delaware) is running in the Republican primary for attorney general against York County District Attorney Dave Sunday (R-Erie)
Most of Stollsteimer’s endorsements come from labor groups. Building trade groups in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, as well as the Pennsylvania Building and Construction Trades Council, announced their support of Stollsteimer. The Delaware and Chester County Democratic committees have also endorsed Stollsteimer’s run.
“Throughout this campaign, no one has worked harder than Jack to connect with voters all over the state,” a campaign spokesperson told DVJournal. “We’re confident that voters know Jack and are excited to get out and vote for him on primary day.”
Khan has touted his support from left-leaning groups like Gun Sense Voter and Clear Air Action. Democratic politicians supporting Khan include state Sens. Katie Muth, Steve Santarsiero, and Nikil Saval and state Reps. Mark Rozzi, Tim Brennan, Melissa Cerrato, and Tarik Khan, Khan’s brother. The Bucks County Democratic committee has also endorsed Khan.
That support may not be enough for Stollsteimer and Khan to make it to the November ballot.
“I think it’s going to be really close, but if I had to pick, I’d pick Solomon,” said Guy Ciarrocchi, a Chester County-based strategist and columnist for Broad + Liberty. He said Solomon has done a better job at claiming the progressive banner over DePasquale.
Solomon has support from state House Majority Leader Rep. Matt Bradford and Senate Democratic Whip Sen. Christine Tartaglione. Fire unions in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Allentown also endorsed Solomon.
Democrat strategist Neil Oxman thinks DePasquale is the frontrunner. “He’s won statewide; he comes from a long political family in Allegheny County,” Oxman said. “If you ask me, he’s the favorite.”
The Pennsylvania Democratic Party declined to endorse a candidate in the race. Oxman speculated that state Democrats wanted to be strategic because there was no overwhelming favorite.
On the Republican side, local state representative Williams and Erie County DA Sunday have clashed on prosecutorial philosophy.
Sunday said he supports reducing recidivism, redemption, and mental health issues. Williams argued for a tougher-on-crime approach.
Ciarrocchi gave Sunday the edge, and not just because the Pennsylvania state GOP endorsed him.
One reason? The Pennsylvania House.
“The state House is one seat away from a Republican majority,” Ciarrocchi said. “Do we want to take a respected incumbent and take him out of that seat?”
Williams is also running unopposed in the GOP primary for his current seat in the legislature, and Republican legislators in the Democrat-trending Delaware Valley are increasingly rare.
Another big race with a Delaware Valley flavor is the Democratic primary for auditor general. Philadelphia state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta is facing Lehigh County Controller Mark Pinsley.
Kenyatta, who ran an unsuccessful race for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate in 2022, is considered the favorite, having received high-profile endorsements from U.S. Sen. Bob Casey and the state Democratic Party.
Oxman isn’t sure a Kenyatta win is a guarantee. He wondered where the 2022 version of Kenyatta was. That Kenyatta placed third in the Senate primary but still impressed with his passion and charisma on cable TV.
“Now he’s running for a statewide row office that no one gives two hoots about, and it’s much less glamorous,” he said.
The result of the primaries could affect the biggest DelVal politician in Pennsylvania. Gov. Josh Shapiro isn’t on the ballot, but he’s likely watching the polls with interest.
Shapiro has straddled the line between progressive and centrist depending on the issue, specifically regarding issues like climate change and education.
“The sense I have is that he’s going to take all this in…and get a sense of where the pulse is in his party. And I think it will have an impact on how he governs,” said Ciarrocchi.
