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Three candidates for Pennsylvania attorney general, Republican Dave Sunday, Democrat Eugene DePasquale and Eric Settle of the Forward Party, answered questions at an unconventional political forum in Pittsburgh on Wednesday.
The “Ultimate Job Interview,” modeled after a traditional job application process, was held at Point Park University’s George Rowland White Performance Center and hosted by Spotlight PA in partnership with the Philadelphia Citizen as part of the Lenfest Institute for Every Voice, Every Voice Journalism. Vote initiative.
The candidates were asked about their plans if elected, their leadership experience and how politics will play a role in their work.
Sunday, the York County district attorney, was asked why he held the position of attorney general. He said this is driven by his efforts to reduce recidivism rates, which he emphasized in many of his answers.
“You see the impact on families by keeping families together, the impact on the economy by seeing people coming out of prison get jobs and careers, and how that reduces their recidivism, and you just see the overall amazing impact on our community,” he said. “From my perspective, this is the moment in Pennsylvania where we need that kind of leadership.”
To strengthen the economy if elected, Sunday explained that he would advocate hiring individuals recently released from prison. He pointed to York County’s Reentry Opportunity Center, which provides resources to people who are out of work, as an example of positive efforts to expand the workforce.
“One of the things I hear all the time is, ‘We can’t find workers,’ and at the same time I hear people coming out of prison who are unable to work for whatever reason. he said. “This is so critical because it meets an economic need. It contributes to the prosperity of our economy.”
Before Sunday, politicians will not take into account his plans for the appointment of attorney general, he said.
“In America we prosecute crimes, not people, and in the world we live in now, where everyone, everything is so hyper-politicized… There has to be a place where that’s not the case,” he said.
DePasquale began by highlighting his record as a former auditor general in Pennsylvania, including significantly reducing the backlog of untested rape kits following an investigation.
“We need an attorney general who is not a partisan warrior, and I believe my record in public life has demonstrated that,” he said. “I believe that the fact that we have already run a complex state agency, conducted tough statewide investigations, and held bad actors accountable no matter who they are, especially in these partisan polarized times, is exactly what Pennsylvania needs as attorney general.”
His top three priorities if elected are community safety, consumer protection and reproductive freedom, DePasquale said.
On the first two issues, he plans to establish working relationships with district attorneys, police chiefs and mayors across the state and launch an investigation into prescription drug prices and pharmacy benefit managers.
Regarding abortion, he spoke about it with a personal story. He and his ex-wife had a non-viable ectopic pregnancy decades ago and made the decision to terminate the pregnancy.
“No matter what happens, I’m going to make it clear to the women of the United States that if they need that procedure from one of the states that is illegal, they can come to Pennsylvania and have their rights protected,” he said. said.
He added that if elected, he would strive to address the impact of social media on the mental health of young people in Pennsylvania.
Forward Party candidate Eric Settle answered questions about the unique position he holds as a candidate for a relatively new independent party. The Forward Party was founded by Andrew Yang after his 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.
Settle has two goals this election: become attorney general and establish the Forward Party as a permanent minority political party. To do the latter, he must get at least 2% of the highest candidate’s total votes statewide and at least 2% of the total votes of the highest candidate nationwide in at least 10 provinces.
If he succeeds, the Forward Party will join Pennsylvania’s existing non-major political parties: the Green and Libertarian parties.
Settle expressed concerns about his candidacy as an independent, stating that even if he doesn’t win, his supporters will get a good attorney general.
“One of the hostilities I encountered during the campaign is, ‘You’re going to be a spoiler,’ and one of the things I said to those people is, ‘Look, if I don’t win, one of the two will be these gentlemen good people,” he said. “If your second choice doesn’t win somehow, neither of them are good people.”
