Eugene DePasquale for Pa. attorney general | Endorsement

The Office of Attorney General, one of the most powerful elected positions in the state, handles much more than prosecutions.

Bipartisan, multistate coalitions of attorneys general have delivered millions of dollars in damages from opioid manufacturers. While Democratic attorneys general proved a bulwark against the excesses of the Trump administration — from the pushback against the ban on Muslims entering the U.S. to the defense of free and fair elections.

It is essential, then, that voters select a candidate with the ability to take on the full scope of the job. Someone with experience navigating Harrisburg and the requisite independence to take on any person or organization that is harming the public welfare in the commonwealth.

That candidate is Democrat Eugene DePasquale. His calm, confident demeanor and demonstrated competence make him the best choice for the office.

DePasquale's résumé is extensive. He's worked in economic development for the city of York, served in the General Assembly, worked as a law professor, and spent two terms as auditor general. In the latter role, he investigated the state Department of Environmental Protection's lax oversight of Marcellus Shale drilling, pushed to reduce the backlog of thousands of rape kits that had gone untested by law enforcement, and released a report with ways to curb gun violence after the mass shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh.

His opponent, Dave Sunday, is a marked improvement over the extreme right-wing candidates often put forward by the Pennsylvania Republican Party. And, unlike many GOP candidates this election cycle — including Bucks County's self-proclaimed bipartisan moderate, Brian Fitzpatrick — Sunday met with the Editorial Board and openly answered questions. Sunday also readily accepts the legitimacy of Joe Biden's victory in 2020 and supports commonsense criminal justice reforms in his role as York County district attorney.

The commonwealth, however, needs an attorney general to serve as more than just a lead prosecutor. The role requires a candidate with a broad vision of how the office carries out its mandate to deliver for residents, as Josh Shapiro did during his two terms. Sunday's limited experience as a county prosecutor simply does not match up to DePasquale's track record.

Sunday also has a concerning dependence on a single donor — local billionaire and school choice advocate Jeffrey Yass. Yass-affiliated PACs have spent millions on the race already. In fact, most spending in favor of Sunday has been done by these PACs, not the Sunday campaign itself. This kind of overreliance on a single funding source raises concern and leaves Sunday vulnerable to questions about his independence.

DePasquale, on the other hand, has support from a broad range of individuals and political organizations, which inherently means the office will not appear to be beholden to a single influential voice. As auditor general, DePasquale displayed balance on education , writing reports criticizing misallocated funds in both charter and public schools.

The Democrat also plans to step up the office's prosecution of environmental protection cases, another welcome evolution in how the attorney general can better serve the commonwealth. Too often, decisions on where to build infrastructure like bus stations, power plants, highways, or train lines come down to the path of least resistance. Wealthy communities with ample resources for legal fees may be able to keep a plan at bay for decades, using federal laws like the National Environmental Policy Act to force agencies to undertake costly litigation and extensive reviews. To avoid these costs, officials often end up opting for locations in poorer communities , whose resistance is less likely to spread from the media to the courtroom.

Adding the attorney general's office into the equation may make companies and state agencies rethink their decision-making process, leading to a more balanced allocation of these impositions. The state also faces other environmental issues, like potentially hundreds of thousands of abandoned, uncapped oil wells . An attorney general who centers environmental protection might very well be the impetus many of these well owners need to do the right thing.

Given the state's challenges, voters should support Eugene DePasquale as Pennsylvania's next attorney general.