Republicans swept Pennsylvania’s three row offices Tuesday, winning races for attorney general, auditor general and state treasurer.
York County District Attorney Dave Sunday won the statewide AG contest, becoming the first GOP candidate elected as the commonwealth’s top law enforcement officer since Tom Corbett in 2008.
He earned about 51% of the vote, to Democratic nominee Eugene DePasquale’s 46%, according to unofficial results posted Wednesday on the state’s election returns website.
“Dave worked hard and earned this victory,” DePasquale, a former state auditor general, posted Wednesday morning on social media. “I also want to thank all of the people who supported our campaign. Your energy and passion will always be with me.”
Sunday will succeed current AG Michelle Henry, who was appointed by Gov. Josh Shapiro when he resigned from the position and became governor last year. Henry chose not to run for a full four-year term.
Voters elected incumbent GOP Auditor General Timothy DeFoor to a second term by a similar margin. He overcame a challenge from Democratic state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta.
“From the time I was elected in 2020, I made one promise, to do the job the way it was intended to be done,” DeFoor said Wednesday in a letter to Pennsylvanians. “To follow the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and to give back to the community that made me what I am.”
The auditor general conducts investigations to provide oversight of the state’s finances, similar to the role of the city controller in Philadelphia.
Kenyatta will remain in Harrisburg. He was unopposed on Tuesday’s ballot in his North Philadelphia-based state House of Representatives district.
“My concerns for the future of our Commonwealth and country are profound, but the one thing I know for sure is that this moment requires us to hold even closer those we love,” Kenyatta said in a statement.
Republican State Treasurer Stacy Garrity, who took office in 2021 alongside DeFoor, was also reelected. Preliminary results show she received about 52% of the vote, to Democratic hopeful Erin McClelland’s 45%.
“This victory belongs to every Pennsylvanian who believes in responsible stewardship of our tax dollars, in transparency, and in a brighter future for our Commonwealth,” Garrity said in a statement. “I’m committing to making every dollar count and ensuring that your hard-earned money is managed with the utmost responsibility.”
She noted that this month has been difficult for her family; Garrity’s 82-year-old father died Monday. “Tomorrow, we all get back to the business of making our lives in this world a little better,” she added.
Pennsylvania’s treasurer oversees deposits and withdrawals from state funds.
