Pennsylvania voters today decide who will lead the attorney general’s office, the main legal arm that defends the state in court, addresses political fraud and upholds election laws, among other duties.

The candidates clashed over experience, with Republican Dave Sunday saying his career as a prosecutor in the York County District Attorney’s Office best qualified him to serve as attorney general. He noted in several public forums that his competitor, Democrat Eugene DePasquale, had never tried a case before a jury.

Meanwhile, DePasquale, a former state auditor general and state representative, said running a statewide investigative office will allow him to make a smooth transition into the attorney general role, if elected. DePasquale also noted that Gov. Josh Shapiro, who also had no experience as a prosecutor, was once attorney general.

in two televised debatesThe candidates shared different views on gun control, abortion, the death penalty, cash bail reform and the legalization of recreational marijuana. But on other issues, such as holding social media companies accountable and prioritizing the mental health of young people, the candidates’ positions are not far apart. Four minor party candidates were eager to point out those similarities.but they did not participate in the debates.

Sunday was elected York County District Attorney in 2017 and previously served as a deputy district attorney and special assistant to federal prosecutors. He described himself as tough on crime, but compassionate when prosecuting people in the midst of addictions or mental health crises. He touted a York County prison reentry program and said he would expand it statewide.

“Only one person here has ever conducted a criminal investigation,” Sunday said at the candidates’ first debate. “The attorney general is the top law enforcement official in Pennsylvania and supervises hundreds of prosecutors who conduct criminal investigations.”

When speaking with WESA, Legal experts and political observers painted a slightly different picture of the role of the office, often dubbed the state’s “top cop.” which differs from state to state. Even sitting Vice President and presidential hopeful Kamala Harris has used the nickname to refer to her past as California attorney general.

DePasquale was a member of the House elected from a York County district and served two terms as state auditor general. He currently serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Pittsburgh.

In the debates, he aligned himself with progressives on issues such as protecting abortion rights and tightening gun control measures, including universal background checks and red flag laws. The latter, sometimes known as “extreme risk protection orders”, would allow a judge to take a gun from someone considered at risk of violence, “through a judicial process that temporarily, I want to repeat, temporarily restricts someone’s access to firearms when they are a danger to themselves and their family. community”. DePasquale said in the second debate.

Republican lawmakers and Second Amendment advocates have opposed gun control legislation in Pennsylvania. Gun Owners of America Pennsylvania, along with the state’s Fraternal Order of Police and the State Troopers Association, endorsed Sunday. A state corrections officers union and a Teamsters police group have supported DePasquale’s campaign.

DePasquale won a five-candidate Democratic primary against a former chief public defender, a district attorney, a former federal prosecutor and a member of the state House of Representatives. On Sunday, he defeated a state lawmaker from Chester County in the Republican primary. Four third-party candidates, from the Libertarian, Adelante, Constitución and Verde parties, also appeared on Tuesday’s ballot.

The campaigns of the two main parties drew a combined total of $16.7 million in television adswith a late Republican blitz that outspent the Democrats by more than $10 million.

Sunday’s campaign gained a huge financial advantage, thanks to an infusion of millions of cash from Republican billionaire Jeff Yass, Pennsylvania’s richest resident. Speaking to Spotlight PA, a Democratic political consultant attributed Sunday’s outside spending to his lower profile, calling him “relatively unknown” as the county district attorney. By comparison, DePasquale was a state representative and auditor general.

Before 1980, the governor of Pennsylvania appointed the state’s attorney general… Some states still use this process to this day.. Republicans won every election for AG between 1980 and 2012, but Democrats can claim to have held the position ever since. (The closest Republicans came came when Shapiro appointed Republican District Attorney Michelle Henry of Bucks County, who later became a Democrat after being elected governor.)