DV Journal

Chester County Democrats and Republicans have endorsed candidates in the May 17 primary.

Last week, the Republicans gave their nod to congressional candidates Ron Vogel and Guy Ciarrocchi.  Vogel had a significant lead over Ciarrocchi in the ultimate round of votes—190 to 137. But because Vogel received 58 percent rather than 60 percent, the party recommended both men.

Ron Vogel

“It’s an honor to have earned the most votes in Chester County,” says Vogel, a real estate agent. “I intend to win the endorsement from the Berks County GOP, and I look forward to winning this primary and taking on Chrissy Houlahan in the fall. I think the members of the Republican Committee saw that I am genuine in my desire to make this great country even better. I’m admittedly new to politics, but that seems to have been an asset – not a liability. The Republican Party is forward-thinking, and its members trusted me to build coalitions with the next generation of voters, grow the party, and expose Congresswoman Houlahan’s feckless liberalism. That’s why I came out on top as the highest vote earner with 58 percent of the vote.”

The Republican Committee of Berks County, which also covers a significant portion of the 6th Congressional District, will make its endorsements later in April.

“For two years, I have been leading an effort to reopen the economy, to help small businesses and their employees, to put parents in charge and get kids back in school and to restore our liberty,” said Ciarrocchi, who is on leave from his position as president and CEO of the Chester County Chamber of Business. “(Last week) I launched a campaign for Congress to make sure that Washington hears that message—and stops making things worse. It’s humbling that the Chester County GOP officially ‘recommended’ me to our voters. It’s based on the fact that they know my record as a leader, a fighter, and someone who makes a difference.  I’ll do my best to earn their trust in me.”

Guy Ciarrocchi

Meanwhile, the Democrats unanimously endorsed incumbent Houlahan. In her remarks, Houlahan mentioned some of her recent legislative successes that included passage of family leave for federal employees, simplifying forgiveness of Paycheck Protection Program loans for qualifying small businesses, supporting the bipartisan infrastructure bill that will result in $18 billion in projects for Pennsylvania, and expanding support for veterans.

Her re-election pitch included “ensuring rights to affordable healthcare, an economy that works for all, and energy policies to combat climate change.” She noted her race is ‘targeted’ and the new district map will make the race harder to win. She closed by thanking the Chester County Democrats for their past support.

Rep. Chrissy Houlahan

The Chester Democrats also endorsed Attorney General Josh Shapiro for governor and state Rep. Austin Davis for lieutenant governor.

However, the Democrats’ vote was too close for party members to endorse in the race for the U.S. Senate seat. None of the three nominated candidates- Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, and U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb– reached the 65 percent threshold for endorsement.

On the Republican side, the state committee did not endorse anyone for governor and Senate.

However, Chester County members of the state committee met on Saturday and endorsed former U.S. Attorney Bill McSwain for governor, according to Felice Fain, vice chair of the Chester GOP.

“I’m a native son of Chester County. I’ve lived there my whole life. I met my wife, Stephanie, when we were in elementary school in our hometown of West Chester, where we raised our four children and still live today,” said McSwain. “I coached little league and soccer teams in Chester County. I know the families of Chester County and they know me.

“Chester County is ready for change, and ready for a conservative leader who will fight to protect them from government overreach, intrusive regulations, and burdensome tax increases. I am proud to see my home county coming together to demand better for themselves, their neighbors, and their children, and am honored to receive the endorsement of the Chester County delegation of the Republican State Committee of Pennsylvania. Together, we will work towards victory in November and a freer, safer, more prosperous Commonwealth for years to come,” he said.

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The death penalty for cop killers. Keep more accused violent felons in jail while they await trial. Let the governor  pick the Philly D.A.

These are some of the ideas to fight crime in Philadelphia GOP gubernatorial candidate Bill McSwain pitched at a Tuesday press conference.

“I know that the law-abiding citizens of this neighborhood and throughout Philadelphia feel helpless right now,” McSwain said. “We go to work, raise our families, follow the law, and pay our taxes – only to see our streets get more dangerous, our businesses get robbed, our communities get vandalized, and our families living in fear from the criminals, drug dealers, and gangs who think they run these streets.

“I have a message for them. We run these streets. The good people, the law-abiding people, of Pennsylvania. And we are going to take them back.”

If elected, McSwain also promised to increase funding for local law enforcement and to “hunt down violent criminals by any means necessary, including the use of the State Police and the National Guard.”

He would create financial incentives to recruit new law enforcement officers and ensure financial security for current law enforcement families by giving them more pay and a secure retirement.

“The governor should have the responsibility to appoint the chief law enforcement officer of the largest – and now, the deadliest – city in our Commonwealth. That is how we will rid the city of (DA) Larry Krasner.”

Krasner’s spokesperson did not respond to a request to comment.

McSwain promised to  “stop rioting, looting, sanctuary cities, heroin injection sites, as well as Joe Biden’s ridiculous plan for crack pipe giveaways.”

During the George Floyd riots in Philadelphia in the summer of 2020, when he was the U.S. Attorney, McSwain enforced the law.

“If you start a riot, if you torch a police car, if you push an old lady to the ground, if you loot a business or burn down a building or blow up a coffee shop or an ATM, guess what? You’re going to jail.”

He detailed the case of Lore-Elisabeth Blumenthal, 34, “who proudly threw a Molotov cocktail into a police car in broad daylight right in front of City Hall and people on the far left, people who sure do not want me to be governor, they said this lady was an asset to her community. There were people actually lobbying our office lobbying me lobbying the judge to take it easy on this woman. They didn’t want her to be punished. They called her ‘a dedicated community activist.’ Well, not on my watch.”

Blumenthal, 34, awaits trial.

“Now Larry Krasner and (Attorney General) Josh Shapiro, they wouldn’t have done that,” said McSwain. “They would have given her a medal. As governor, I will demand on a daily basis, that the mayor, the district attorney, the attorney general…do their jobs. And when they don’t I will force them to by using all the power of the governor’s office.”

Ann Marie Muldoon

McSwain spoke at a press conference at Avenue Chiropractic in the Mayfair section of Philadelphia, where owner Ann Marie Muldoon said the neighborhood has changed for the worse since Krasner took office.

As a healthcare professional who knew “throughout this pandemic I could keep my patients safe inside but I could not keep them safe outside,” Muldoon said. “I can disinfect what’s in there but we need somebody to disinfect what’s out here.”

When she was growing up the neighborhood was like “Mayberry” and she is amazed there was a recent carjacking. Now her friends and her mother request that she text them when she gets home every night.

“Every day my patients are packing up and moving to the outskirts of Philadelphia,” said Muldoon. “I’m just going to tell you, it’s not going to stop there. How long can we keep running? If you think it’s not going to reach there in a few years, you’re wrong…Once they evacuate Philadelphia, they will move to the suburbs. There are better cars there.  There are better goods there.”

“Today I stand in front of you as a broken-hearted Philly girl,” she said. “Everybody has one ultimate goal at the end of the day. And that’s to get home to their family safely.”

Patty-Pat Kazlowski came to the press conference to thank McSwain for stopping a drug injection site from coming to her Port Richmond neighborhood.

Former Assistant District Attorney Carlos Vega, Krasner’s opponent in the 2021 primary, also attended the press conference. Asked afterward if he supported McSwain, Vega said that he was just gathering information and is not sure yet who he will support for governor.

The Delaware Valley Journal asked McSwain whether his proposal would take away the judges’ priority to set bail or decide to hold someone without bail.

“We’re seeing the same people commit the same crimes over and over again. The way you stop that is, the first time they’re arrested they stay in prison until they’re tried and they’re convicted and they’re sentenced,” McSwain said, adding: “What I’m saying is we could have bail reform, a legislative reform that would require pretrial detention. You would take that discretion away from judges.”

Another reporter asked about allowing voters in the rest of the state to impose their will on Philadelphia residents by voting for a constitutional amendment to allow the governor to appoint the Philadelphia DA.

“I think the vast majority of Philadelphians are very upset at the public safety crisis they’re going through right now,” said McSwain, noting that Krasner was elected “by a very small slice of the electorate. About 15 percent of the city approved of Krasner, 85 percent don’t approve.”

Asked about legislation to give the attorney general concurrent jurisdiction in Philadelphia, McSwain said that Shapiro had ignored it when it was previously the law.

“I have no reason to believe he is going to do anything with it now,” said McSwain. “That is him choosing his own political career over protecting the law-abiding citizens of Philadelphia because he doesn’t want to get cross-wise with the radical left of his party.”

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The Pennsylvania Republican State Committee wrapped up its meeting in York last weekend without making any endorsements for governor or U.S. Senate. And the biggest loser from that decision may be the Delaware Valley.

Two local Republicans, Dave White in the governor’s race and Jeff Bartos for Senate, have dominated the regional straw polls thus far and were believed to be the most likely to get the state committee’s backing. Instead, with large fields in both primaries, the state party decided to sit out the primary.

Albert Eisenberg

Political consultant Albert Eisenberg with BlueStateRed, said, “The election is a long way away. In 2015 and 2016, everybody thought the Republican primary was a clown show that would kneecap the party and the Democratic coronation would mean a stronger general election showing. People who claim to know how a busy primary with no central endorsement will wind up could show a bit more humility and let the process play out.”

Does the lack of official endorsement from the state GOP present a stumbling block for a campaign’s momentum?

Bartos’ campaign manager Conor McGuiness brushed aside any concerns, citing Bartos’ wins in the regional GOP straw polls, where he secured 41 percent of the votes. He was followed by Dave McCormick at 30 percent, Kathy Barnette at 14 percent, and Dr. Mehmet Oz and Carla Sands, who each had less than 1 percent.

Jeff Bartos

“These straw polls have been the only votes cast in this election – and the results are clear: Republicans prefer an actual Pennsylvanian, an actual conservative to slick TV ads from out-of-state pretenders,” said McGuinness. “Jeff is proud to have the support of Republican state committee members by an overwhelming margin. While others try their best to campaign to D.C. insiders, we’re focused on our fellow Pennsylvanians – and we’re winning.”

Bob Salera, White’s campaign manager said, “Dave appreciates all the support he has received from members of [the] state committee, winning four out of five caucus straw polls, but from the beginning of the process he has called for an open primary as it’s his belief that voters should choose the Republican nominee. We look forward to continuing to speak to Republican primary voters about why Dave is the best candidate to take on far-left socialist Attorney General Josh Shapiro in the fall.”

And how about other Delaware Valley contenders, who also failed to get the nod that might give them a boost in the crowded May 17 primaries?

Philadelphia lawyer George Bochetto, who is running for the Senate said, “I was delighted by the vote at [the] state committee to keep the U.S. Senate race open, and not to endorse, even though many members assured me they would vote for my endorsement. That the voters will have a wide-open perspective on just who the best candidate is (and) what is most important. The backroom politics of yesteryear are no longer cutting it, and the voters today are way too smart to buy into that bygone process. I am happy for and support the decision by [the] state committee not to endorse.”

GOP consultant Charlie Gerow, who grew up in Warminster and is running for governor, said, “We were pleased that the state committee did not endorse. As an elected member of [the] state committee, I’ve always voted against endorsement because I believe the voters should decide.”

Similarly, Guy Ciarrocchi, who is on leave from his job as president of the Chester County Chamber of Business while he runs for governor said, “Reality told party officials what they had to do—support an open primary. In a field of a dozen candidates, any attempt to hand-select one candidate would’ve been misguided and harmful. Candidates should talk directly to voters; share their message and make their case to turn around Pennsylvania—and, beat (presumed Democratic nominee) Josh Shapiro. So, I happily return my focus to talking to real voters about ‘kitchen table’ issues—and, offering common-sense solutions.”

And Rachel Tripp, a spokeswoman for Bill McSwain, the former U.S. Attorney who is running for governor, said, “Bill looks forward to continuing to grow his momentum, impact, and support across all 67 counties and among state committee members, and respects the committee’s decision to leave the nominating process in the hands of primary voters.”

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Bill McSwain, the former U.S. Attorney who is running for governor, is spending $6.8 million on cable and broadcast television, radio, and internet ads in the run-up to the May 17 Republican primary, according to filings. That is more than many of his opponents in the crowded GOP field have in their campaign coffers, let alone their advertising budgets.

Indeed, Senate Pro Tempore Jake Corman’s campaign announced Monday it had raised $3 million and had $2.7 million cash on hand.

Garnering the backing of the endorsement of Commonwealth Partners Chamber of Entrepreneurs, a free-market advocacy group, was a major coup for McSwain.

“We’re confident that as voters meet Bill McSwain and learn about his record, they’ll conclude he’s the best choice to serve as Pennsylvania’s next governor,” said Matt Brouillette, Treasurer of Commonwealth Leaders Fund, a political action committee affiliated with Commonwealth Partners.

“Bill is very honored to be able to share his message,” said Rachel Tripp, McSwain’s campaign spokeswoman. “With the combination of the Commonwealth Partners support and over 10,000 donors, this is the start of a long-term strategy.” The advertisements allow voters “share his vision,” she said. “This is just the beginning of a longer fight.”

Indeed the winner of the primary will almost certainly face Democrat Josh Shapiro, the state Attorney General who is running for governor and who just received his party’s endorsement last weekend. Shapiro, who has no primary challengers, will be well-funded for the general election.

However, it might not be smooth sailing for the former Marine.

“Having those kinds of resources is an undoubted benefit that allows a candidate to be competitive, but alone it is probably not sufficient to win,” said Berwood Yost, director of the Floyd Institute for Public Policy and Center for Opinion Research at Franklin & Marshall College. “The strategy here may be to build momentum in order to attract more donors and perhaps scare off a few other potential candidates.  Of course, candidates are not likely to win in this state based on advertising alone, so we will need to see how his campaign does organizing on the ground. His performance in the straw polls suggests he has some work to do with party insiders, which signals a disconnect with the local party leaders who are important in these primary elections.”

McSwain’s first television ad began airing on Fox News Monday. The commercial, entitled “Send In a Marine,” an announcer tells viewers McSwain served his country as a “scout sniper” in the Marine Corps and was appointed by former President Donald Trump as U.S. Attorney General for Southeastern Pennsylvania. In that role, he “put hard criminals behind bars and took down corrupt politicians.” The spot then pivots to tell the audience that as governor, McSwain would rebuild the economy, “reduce taxes on hardworking families,” and “empower parents to give their kids a great education.”

McSwain, 52, grew up in West Chester, where he still lives and graduated from Yale and Harvard Law School. He is married to his childhood sweetheart, Stephanie. They have four children.

After leaving the U.S. Attorney’s office, he joined the Duane Morris law firm.

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The Commonwealth Court Friday ruled that Pennsylvania’s no-excuse mail-in voting law, Act 77, is unconstitutional.

In addition to striking down the law, the court ordered the acting secretary of state not to enforce Act 77.

The 3-2 ruling found the law, which permitted no-excuse absentee voting, while ending straight-ticket voting, violated the constitutional requirement of “the physical presence of the elector.” The judges found the legislature could not make changes to voting laws without amending the state Constitution.

Attorney General Josh Shapiro, a Democratic candidate for governor, said he will appeal the decision.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro

“This opinion is based on twisted logic and faulty reasoning, and is wrong on the law,” said Shapiro, who is also the presumed Democratic candidate for governor. It will be immediately appealed and therefore won’t have any immediate impact on Pennsylvania’s upcoming elections. The issue will now go before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, and we are confident in the constitutionality of Act 77.”

Gov. Tom Wolf agreed, saying, “The administration will immediately appeal this decision to the state Supreme Court and today’s lower court ruling will have no immediate effect on mail-in voting pending a final decision on the appeal.

An appeal has already been filed, triggering an automatic stay that keeps the law in place during the appeal process.

“The Republican-controlled legislature passed Act 77 with strong bipartisan support in 2019 to make voting more safe, secure, and accessible and millions of Pennsylvanians have embraced it,” Wolf said.

He accused Republicans who opposed Act 77 of “trying to silence the people.”

Sen. Jake Corman

Pennsylvania Republicans, however, were thrilled. And they used the ruling to criticize the Wolf administration’s execution of the law.

“There have been numerous concerns raised about the way Act 77 was implemented by the Department of State, especially the double standard created by the removal of key mail-in ballot security measures in lead-up to the 2020 election,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman (R-Bellefonte). After what occurred in the 2020 and 2021 elections, I have no confidence in the no-excuse mail in ballot provisions. There is no doubt that we need a stronger election law than the one we have in place today.

“Today’s ruling should serve as a call to action to open up a serious conversation about the reforms necessary to make voting both accessible and secure for all Pennsylvanians. Gov. Wolf has ignored this debate for over a year, but hopefully this ruling will help bring him to the table so we can address concerns about our election system once and for all.”

Corman plans to introduce a bill with voter ID, eliminating straight-party voting and ending drop-boxes, as well as banning outside money to fund elections, which was done by Mark Zuckerberg in key areas of Pennsylvania in 2020.

Bill McSwain

Republican Bill McSwain, the former U.S. Attorney for eastern Pennsylvania running for governor castigated those who supported Act 77, including his Republican primary opponents.

“Act 77 has wreaked havoc across our state and robbed voters of confidence in their elections. Any politician who supported this unconstitutional bill on either side of the aisle is unqualified to be governor,” said McSwain. “As U.S. Attorney and as a candidate for governor, I have consistently called Act 77 unconstitutional, and applaud the Commonwealth Court for recognizing it as such.”

Lou Barletta

Former Congressman Lou Barletta, another gubernatorial candidate, promised to repeal Act 77 if it remains on the books after appeals are exhausted.

“Now we know that not only was Act 77 a terrible law, it was also unconstitutional and shouldn’t have been passed in the first place,” said Barletta. “Most states that go to widespread mail-in voting take years to implement the process, but in Pennsylvania, we went from under 300,000 people voting by mail in 2016 to over 2.6 million in 2020. Local elections officers weren’t trained, equipped, or staffed to handle the flood of ballots and the result was the chaos that we all saw.”

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The woman recently appointed by Gov. Tom Wolf to be acting Secretary of State has come under fire as being a partisan Democrat and an advocate for mail-in ballots.

Republican Bill McSwain, the former U.S. Attorney who is running governor, took aim at Wolf’s appointment of  Leigh Chapman and to name her as an acting secretary rather than going to the state legislature for approval.

McSwain said Wolf knew Chapman “could not be confirmed” and, by appointing here, he is “disrespecting the legislature,” which is majority Republican. Wolf, who is in his last year in office because of term limits, is a Democrat.

A spokeswoman for Wolf did not respond to the Delaware Valley Journal’s request for comment. Chapman, who took office on Jan. 8, also did not reply to a request for comment.

McSwain noted that it is “important to restore people’s faith in the elections,” but instead Wolf chose to appoint someone who is “nakedly partisan.”

Leigh Chapman

Prior to this appointment, Chapman had worked for Deliver My Vote, which is nonpartisan under the tax code, but McSwain noted its “founders are on record saying they are pushing mail-in voting to help Democrats” get elected. Deliver My Vote promotes mail-in balloting that “specifically favors Democrats,” said McSwain.

McSwain also came out swinging against Act 77, the 2019 legislation that permits 50 days of mail-in ballots prior to elections.

“I think no-excuse mail-in balloting is unnecessarily chaotic,” said McSwain. And Act 77 as it has been carried out is “deeply flawed.”

“I believe in in-person voting,” said McSwain. “I believe in the sanctity of the voting booth” where “nobody can influence you.”

“In-person voting fosters trust in elections,” he said.

“The people who voted for act 77 need to be held to account,” McSwain added, taking a swipe at the state senators who are competing with him for the GOP voters’ nomination to run for governor: Jake Corman, Scott Martin, and Doug Mastriano.

“That is a disqualifying vote, if you voted for Act 77,” said McSwain.

And with the appointment of Chapman as secretary of state, “the deck is being stacked for the Democrats,” he said.

In the 2020 election, former Secretary of State Kathy Boochvar permitted majority Democratic counties to “ engage in illegal ballot curing” or to allow officials to “call up folks and say you can do it again,”  who failed to include the secrecy envelope with their mail-in ballot, while Republican-leaning counties did not.

She and Wolf also allowed money from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg– “Zuckerbucks”–to flow into “counties that favor Democrats.” The money was spent on “voter drives to get more Democrats registered, advertising and media outreach to get more Democrats to vote,” he said. And also for more “unsupervised” ballot drop boxes, he added.

“There was almost no oversight in how they spent the money,” said McSwain.  “And to have a governor to sign that law (Act 77) and he violated it himself without even caring or realizing, allowing his wife to vote for him, is all you need to know about the lax attitude of Gov. Wolf.  It’s crazy but very, very telling.”

“It’s all part of his playbook,” said McSwain. “He’s continuing it…to prop up Josh Shapiro.” Shapiro, the current attorney general, is a Democrat running for governor.

“The Democrats are going to do everything they can to tilt the playing field in their favor,” said McSwain. “They don’t care about fair elections. They care about partisan victories and a part of that is appointing a secretary of state who is a partisan.”

Chapman graduated from the University of Virginia earning an undergraduate degree in American Studies and History and received her J.D. from Howard University School of Law.

She was senior director of the Voting Rights Program at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. She has experience working on voting issues for nonprofit organizations, state government, and a political organization.

“I am honored and excited to be returning to the Department of State to serve as acting secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” Chapman said in a press release. “Throughout my career, I have worked to ensure that voting rights are protected and to improve access to the ballot box. I look forward to continuing that work in my new role, and to build on the tremendously successful election reforms in Pennsylvania over the last several years.”

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The influential Commonwealth Partners Chamber of Entrepreneurs is endorsing Bill McSwain in the Republican primary for governor, sources tell Delaware Valley Journal.

McSwain, former U.S. Attorney for southeastern Pennsylvania, is one of 15 candidates in the hotly-contested primary.

“I am proud and honored to have the endorsement of Commonwealth Partners Chamber of Entrepreneurs, whose dedication to improving our business climate, expanding educational opportunity, and unleashing Pennsylvania’s energy potential is unmatched,” said McSwain. “Together, we will work toward victory in November and a freer, safer, more prosperous Pennsylvania for years to come.”

McSwain, 52, a Yale graduate who served in the Marine Corps and then earned his law degree from Harvard, was appointed U.S. Attorney by former President Donald Trump.

Commonwealth Partners is a free-market advocacy group with a statewide reputation on the political right. In the 2021 election, its political action committee, Commonwealth Leaders PAC, backed Kevin Brobson for the state Supreme Court, donating $2 million. Brobson won that seat. It also backed both Megan Sullivan for Superior Court and Stacy Wallace for Commonwealth Court, both winning candidates. However, Drew Compton, its second pick for Commonwealth Court, lost.

“We always knew Commonwealth would be a big player in the election for governor, and this kind of move is expected,” said Paul Martino, a Bucks County venture capitalist, who is a GOP donor. He said Commonwealth’s CEO Matt Brouillette “has always said he had an affinity for Bill, so I am not surprised. This certainly vaults Bill into the top tier of candidates.”

As U.S. Attorney, McSwain prosecuted rioters who torched police cars and argued and won the Philadelphia heroin injection site case, preventing such sites from invading Pennsylvania neighborhoods.

The West Chester native also prosecuted corrupt politicians and fought against the Sanctuary City doctrine by prosecuting illegal aliens who committed crimes. He has been a strong proponent of law and order on the campaign trail and a frequent critic of progressive Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner as the crime and murder rates have spiked in that city.

While in private practice, McSwain fought to keep the historic plaque of the 10 Commandments on the Chester County Courthouse that was presented to the county as a gift more than 100 years ago. He also won a case for the Boy Scouts of America when Philadelphia tried to evict the group.

Pennsylvania GOP strategist Charlie O’Neill said, “Commonwealth Partners has been an important voice over the past seven years. They represent conservative leaders and business leaders, and their support sends a message that conservatives can trust McSwain.”

And while their support is valuable, O’Neill said “This certainly doesn’t mean the primary race is over. It’s a strong field.”

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GOP candidate for governor Bill McSwain says state Attorney General Josh Shapiro is “politicizing” his position as part of his candidacy for governor, and he needs to go.

“I am calling on Josh Shapiro to immediately resign from his post as Attorney General,” McSwain said. “During his time in office, Josh Shapiro has taken every opportunity to politicize his position and prioritize personal advancement over upholding and enforcing the law. Now, as a candidate for Governor, he has made it clear that he plans to cast aside his responsibilities as AG in favor of the campaign trail. This is unacceptable – and furthermore, it is immoral.”

McSwain, who served as U.S. Attorney for southeastern Pennsylvania until January, has made crime a central part of his bid for the GOP nomination. He’s pointed to growing violent crime in Philadelphia, where there have been 400 homicides in 2021, an all-time record, among other instances of crime around the state.

“While Shapiro rides around the state in a campaign bus making jokes about sandwiches and cheese sticks, violent crimes are going unpunished and unacknowledged,” said McSwain. “Only someone completely lacking in integrity would continue acting as an absentee AG while citizens suffer. Pennsylvania deserves an Attorney General who will put public safety first, and who will not demean the office with political motivations. Josh Shapiro must resign.”

Shapiro previously stated that he does not intend to resign from his post as Attorney General while campaigning and at an event in Harrisburg said he has “too much work to do in the AG’s office, so I’m going to keep doing that work.”

A spokesman fired back, saying in the last two weeks Shapiro: “announced that his office has convicted a doctor for dangerous prescription practices; announced that a Fayette County priest has pleaded no contest to child sexual abuse; convened a discussion with local law enforcement leaders in southwestern Pennsylvania to talk about what can be done to address the police officer shortage, reiterating his call for the Legislature to allocate $28.5 million to address the issue;  arrested a man for stealing from intellectually disabled individuals to receive up to $90,000 in unemployment benefits. announced that his office worked with the New Jersey Attorney General’s office to arrest a man who illegally purchased more than a dozen ghost guns.”

However, McSwain said that instead of addressing the onslaught of violence, Shapiro has been traveling in his campaign bus, “proudly promoting his mini-fridge stocked full of the children’s snack ‘Uncrustables’ and encouraging people to follow him on TikTok.”

Thus far, Shapiro is the only Democrat in the race. The Republican field currently includes former U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta, Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Gale, Chester County Chamber of Business & Industry President Guy Ciarrocchi, political strategist Charlie Gerow, surgeon Nche Zama, state Sen. Dan Laughlin and Pittsburgh attorney Jason Richey.

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Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro has made it clear he will not resign his office during his quest to become Pennsylvania’s 48th governor. But a chorus of Republican voices says he should, calling the decision by Shapiro, a Democrat, to remain in office during his campaign a conflict of interest.

One voice in that chorus is Bill McSwain, who is seeking the Republican gubernatorial nomination and who served as the U.S. Attorney for Southeastern Pennsylvania during the Trump administration.

In a Tweet published Thursday, McSwain cited historical precedent and noted that in 2010 the Philadelphia Inquirer called for then-Attorney General Tom Corbett, a Republican, to give up his office while running for governor.

McSwain’s Tweet said, “I’m calling on @PhillyInquirer to immediately ask for the resignation of AG @JoshShapiroPA, just as they did for Corbett in 2010. What do you say, Editorial Board? Still concerned about an AG mixing politics and law enforcement?”

In an editorial published on July 21, 2010, the Inquirer opined, “It’s nearly impossible lately for the public to separate Corbett’s law-enforcement duties from his role as the GOP nominee for governor. Increasingly, his actions as attorney general are tinged with political ramifications for the November election.”

The editorial continued, “As the independent and elected attorney general, Corbett is under no obligation to seek the governor’s approval. But this constitutional arrangement raises a question of whether the state’s chief executive should be left out of the loop on such big issues. When the players belong to opposing parties and the case is a hot-button issue in the upcoming election, it’s impossible not to view Corbett’s decision as driven partly by politics. And that undermines public support for the attorney general’s role.”

Corbett went on to defeat Democrat Dan Onorato in the general election. Democratic incumbent Gov. Ed Rendell was barred from seeking a third term, as is Democrat Gov. Tom Wolf today.

The Corbett and Shapiro scenarios differ in that Shapiro and incumbent Wolf are both Democrats.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Charlie Gerow, a political consultant and business owner, has also called on Shapiro to resign as attorney general while campaigning for higher office.

“Josh Shapiro has never finished a job he asked the voters and taxpayers for and now he’s running for governor just months after being sworn in,” said Gerow. “Josh Shapiro must be honest with the taxpayers who pay his salary and admit that he has no interest in the job he asked for but wants to campaign for another office while staying on their payroll.  He should immediately resign as attorney general.”

However, under Pennsylvania law, elected officials need not give up one office to run for another, although former Republican state Sen. Scott Wagner did resign in 2018 prior to his unsuccessful effort to thwart Wolf’s reelection bid.

Shapiro was elected attorney general in 2016 and was re-elected last year when he garnered more votes from Pennsylvanians than President Joe Biden. Shapiro recently announced he has amassed a war chest of more than $10 million.