The race for Pennsylvania's Attorney General is officially set, with Democrat Eugene DePasquale and Republican Dave Sunday securing their party nominations after Tuesday's primary elections. According to CBS News Philadelphia, DePasquale, the state's former auditor general, managed to dismantle the competition, outpacing candidates such as state Rep. Jared Solomon and former federal prosecutor Joe Khan. Meanwhile, York County's DA Sunday edged out Rep. Craig Williams for the GOP nod.
Voters in Pennsylvania had to choose their nominees within a closed primary system, meaning they could only cast their ballots for the party they were registered with. This left independent and unaffiliated voters looking in from the outside, unable to directly participate in selecting candidates. In other election news, U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick retained the GOP line in the 1st Congressional District against anti-abortion advocate Mark Houck, as reported by NBC Philadelphia.
In a more intense electoral drama, Pennsylvania voters are bracing for a contentious U.S. Senate showdown between incumbent Democrat Bob Casey and GOP challenger David McCormick. Casey is gunning for a fourth term, while McCormick, a former hedge fund CEO, comes off a tight loss in the previous year's primary. 6abc notes that the upcoming race could significantly influence the balance of Senate power come November.
The Presidential primaries also unfolded with few surprises, as President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump easily snagged their tickets, set to re-contest their leadership bid in a state that has alternated blue and red. A noteworthy point of interest stems from the Democratic side, where a significant number of "uncommitted" write-in votes were cast, possibly voicing discontent with how Biden handled the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Reflecting on local races, another notable win was clinched by Philadelphia State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta in the Democratic Auditor General primary, setting him up against unopposed GOP incumbent Timothy DeFoor. Additionally, in the PA House District 172 contest, Sean Dougherty ousted seven-term incumbent Kevin Boyle, as he pursued what would have been an eighth term. The political legacy of the Dougherty family continues, with Sean's relation to organized labor leader John "Johnny Doc" Dougherty, and Justice Kevin Dougherty, acknowledged by 6abc.
