In his campaign to become Democratic Attorney General of Pennsylvania, Eugene DePasquale is citing his notable predecessor.
“I have a very similar experience to our current governor, now former attorney general, Josh Shapiro, who is running for this office,” DePasquale said Monday afternoon during the Pennsylvania Press Club’s monthly luncheon.
Shapiro served as Pennsylvania’s attorney general from 2017 until he began his term as governor in 2023. Both he and DePasquale served in the state House before winning election to state office, and as attorney general and auditor general, respectively, both handled high-profile investigations that raised their public profiles.
It’s basic to understand why DePasquale, the Democratic candidate for the seat Shapiro held before launching his campaign for governor, would want to draw such a comparison.
Shapiro is often seen as a rising star in the national Democratic Party. After winning a key swing state by a wide margin in 2022, he was considered as Kamala Harris’ vice presidential running mate but was passed over by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
Despite criticism from progressives while he was being vetted by Harris, recent polls show Shapiro has maintained his popularity in Pennsylvania. And in polarized times, Shapiro has demonstrated his appeal to conservatives and his willingness to defy some Democratic Party norms.
“We need someone to be attorney general who is not going to be a partisan warrior,” DePasquale said Monday.
It’s worth noting that DePasquale has shown moderation on a key issue that has divided Shapiro from most of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party: school choice.
As auditor general, DePasquale wrote a damning report on how charter schools spend public money. But he highlighted similar investigations into public school spending.
“I know a lot of people talk about my work with charter schools,” he said. “I was also tough on traditional public schools.”
As attorney general, Shapiro used his authority to work with Democratic attorneys general across the country to challenge former President Donald Trump’s policies and punish corporate wrongdoing.
DePasquale said he also wants to work with other attorneys general on issues that are a priority for him, such as protecting the environment and ensuring abortion rights.
Becoming personal
During Monday’s lunch, DePasquale also engaged in a personal discussion.
He recalled how in 1998 his ex-wife had an ectopic pregnancy while the couple were trying to have a baby.
“It was technically an abortion,” DePasquale said. “In states like Florida, Texas, Utah, Oklahoma, Idaho — today, we would go to jail for that.”
The experience influenced his stance on abortion access, which DePasquale has called one of the most essential issues for him in his campaign for attorney general.
“I will fight to have that right. Not just if you’re in Pennsylvania, but for anyone who’s fleeing one of these right-wing, authoritarian states that have to come here for their reproductive freedom,” DePasquale said.
DePasquale’s stance on abortion isn’t the only view he holds that has been shaped by personal experiences. He also shared personal stories that have shaped his views on issues like the war on drugs and access to health insurance.
When DePasquale was a teenager, his father was sentenced to 10 1/2 years in prison for drug trafficking. According to DePasquale, his father struggled for decades with an opioid addiction after being prescribed synthetic heroin after being shot while serving in the Vietnam War in 1969.
“The United States’ war on drugs is the most unsuccessful war in the history of this country, and we need to transform it into a war on addiction,” DePasquale said.
The experience, he said, gave him a unique perspective on “both sides of the criminal justice system.” It also made him aware of the issues veterans face. DePasquale emphasized his previous investigations in veterans’ homes as auditor general as an example of how that experience shaped his approach as an elected official.
DePasquale also recalled that his family was denied health care because of his brother’s muscular dystrophy before the Affordable Care Act was passed in 2010, which banned insurance companies from discriminating against customers with pre-existing conditions.
His brother died, DePasquale said, and his family had to take out loans to pay for the funeral.
“We shouldn’t have that in the United States,” DePasquale said. “We shouldn’t go back to that.”
The comment came moments after DePasquale spoke about Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. DePasquale appeared to be referring to Trump’s earlier promises, repealing and replacing the affordable care actcommonly known as ObamaCare.
“I will hold insurance companies accountable and I will work with the hospital industry while being tough and fair,” DePasquale said. But the most essential thing is for people to hear this story and know what happens if you don’t have health insurance.”
As auditor general, DePasquale published reports on the role of pharmacy benefit managers in raising drug prices in Pennsylvania. This year, Shapiro signed a bipartisan bill that gave the state insurance department more oversight of pharmacy benefit managers.
DePasquale is running against Republican candidate Dave Sunday, a Navy veteran and current York County district attorney.
