Robert Casey Jr., Democrat

Bob Casey Jr. is running for his fourth term as Pennsylvania’s senior senator in the U.S. Senate. He’s the longest-serving Democratic U.S. Senator in PA history. The son of former PA Governor Robert P. Casey was first elected in 2006, beating conservative Senator Rick Santorum. Raised in Scranton, Casey attended law school at Catholic University and spent eight years in PA government as Auditor General and State Treasurer.

In the Senate, Casey is viewed as a moderate who champions policies protecting older people, children, people with disabilities and working-class families. He spearheaded the Stephen Beck Jr. Achieving a Better Life Experience Act (ABLE), which allows for tax advantage saving accounts for individuals to save funds for disability expenses. He is the chairman of the Senate Aging Committee and was instrumental in helping nursing homes and older adults during Covid and introduced the “Heroes Fund” in 2020 to provide premium pay to essential workers.

Most recently, Casey was a vocal supporter of Biden’s Build Back Better Plan, specifically a measure providing $250 million for states to expand care for older adults and individuals with disabilities.

A staunch Catholic who has long been considered anti-choice, he now supports a law that would guarantee abortion rights. Casey has a close relationship with President Biden and has strongly supported many of his policies, including lowering the cost of prescription drugs and passing infrastructure legislation.

Select endorsements: PA Democratic Party, National Democratic Committee, AFL-CIO, United Steelworkers, National Education Association (NEA), National Resources Defense Council, American Israel Public Affairs Committee, Giffords PAC (gun safety), Mayor Cherelle Parker

Senator Bob Casey’s campaign website

David McCormick, Republican

Washington, PA, native Dave McCormick is a businessperson, West Point graduate and Iraq combat veteran with a PhD from Princeton. McCormick served as Under Secretary of Treasury and Deputy National Security Advisor under President George W. Bush. In 2022, he ran in the Senate Republican primary and lost in a close race to Trump-endorsed Dr. Oz. (Oz then lost to Democrat John Fetterman.)

McCormick has taken a strong stance against China and advocated for removing the country from the World Health Organization and “revoking the benefits” of trade relations, including halting Chinese-to-U.S. import of solar panels, semiconductors and lithium batteries. Early in 2024, McCormick traveled to the Israel-Gaza border to emphasize his support of Israel and contrast himself to Biden, whom he said was doing too little for Israel. Following Super Tuesday, he endorsed Donald Trump as president.

McCormick retired in 2022 as an executive for the global hedge fund firm Bridgewater Associates. He’s a multimillionaire who has touted his PA roots in commercials. Although he currently has two homes in Western PA, he has long spent most of his time with his family in their Westport, CT mansion. (He also has homes in Dallas, TX, and Colorado; he recently sold his Manhattan condo.) McCormick super PAC Keystone Renewal has attracted attention for its large donations from Wall Street investors, including $18 million from Ken Griffin of Citadel, Steve Schwarzman of Blackstone, and Paul Singer of Elliott Management.

Select endorsements: Pennsylvania’s Republican congressional delegation, National Republican Campaign Committee

David McCormick’s campaign website

PA ATTORNEY GENERAL

Former PA Attorney General (and later, Governor) Tom Corbett, describes the AG’s job this way: “You collect by suit and otherwise all debts, taxes and accounts due to the commonwealth, represent the commonwealth and law agencies in any action brought by or against the commonwealth, you administer the provisions relating to consumer protection and antitrust laws. That’s just a summary. There’s a lot more beyond that.”

“A lot more” includes, as The Citizen’s Larry Platt notes, protecting what we hold dear: “When one of the (gulp) nation’s leading presidential candidates has talked about terminating the Constitution, using the Justice Department to punish his political opponents, and deploying U.S. troops on domestic soil, who will be standing in the way of such Putinism? Who, in other words, will stand for the Rule of Law? Elected AGs, that’s who.”

Eugene DePasquale, Democrat

Having already run and won statewide, the former state representative (2007-2012) and two-term Auditor General (2013-2020) led the pack in name recognition. As the Commonwealth’s chief watchdog, DePasquale made headlines issuing groundbreaking reports that unearthed over 3,217 untested rape kits; three years later, that number had been reduced by 90 percent. He also uncovered 42,000 unanswered calls to the state child abuse hotline. Both of these reports led to significant changes in policies. As a three-term state rep, DePasquale came up short in his challenge to Congressman (and election denier) Scott Perry in 2020.

While he lacks prosecutorial experience, the Widener Law graduate, University of Pittsburgh professor and attorney in private practice argues that his insider Harrisburg knowledge gives him a leg up. Also to his advantage: his Pittsburgh base in a race overrun with Southeastern PA candidates. As AG, DePasquale says he will focus on reducing gun crime, increasing consumer protections such as student loan and healthcare access, and protecting LGBTQ and transgender youth in school.

Eugene DePasquale’s campaign website

Select endorsements: Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers, Central PA Building Trades, Human Rights Campaign, League of Conservation Voters, National Education Association

David Sunday, Republican

Since 2018, Sunday has been District Attorney of York County, where he served as chief deputy prosecutor under his predecessor. He gained notoriety after being appointed special assistant U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania to prosecute federal gang, gun and drug cases. As DA, he’s prioritized taking on the opioid epidemic, reforming the probation and parole system, and combating human trafficking. As AG, he’d be similarly law enforcement focused. Sunday serves on the Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing and the American Conservative Union’s prosecutor advisory board.

David Sunday’s campaign website

Select endorsements: PA Republican Party, Republican Attorneys General Association, Pennsylvania Sheriffs Association PAC

AUDITOR GENERAL

The Department of the Pennsylvania Auditor General, known elsewhere as a controller or auditor of public accounts, oversees how the Commonwealth spends taxpayer money. The office conducts audits of state schools, district courts, county offices and municipal pensions. Post-audit, they report their findings and make recommendations. A PA auditor general can serve for up to two four-year terms.

Timothy DeFoor, Republican

Tim DeFoor was elected PA’s auditor general in 2020, beating out current Philadelphia City Councilmember At-Large Nina Ahmad for the job by three points. The first person of color ever to fill a statewide row office, DeFoor has a long history of working in government. He began his career as a special investigator with the Office of Inspector General and later became Dauphin County controller, where he worked to create the county’s first audit division.

DeFoor mostly stuck to the basics as auditor general, such as auditing municipal funds, with one exception: He took the controversial step of closing his office’s Bureau of School Audits, laying off 11 workers, and handing the responsibility to the Department of Education. He also accused five Philadelphia-area school districts (and four more across the state) of increasing property taxes when they had sufficient funds; critics have said he misunderstood the budgeting process. During his reelection announcement, DeFoor said he has run the office “free of political and partisan influence.”

Timothy DeFoor’s campaign website

Select endorsements: Pennsylvania Republican Party

Malcolm Kenyatta, Democrat

Since 2018, Malcolm Kenyatta has been a state representative for North Philadelphia (he is on the ballot for that same seat in 2024). When elected at age 28, he became the first openly LGBTQ+ person of color in PA’s General Assembly.

Kenyatta has been an outspoken advocate for voting rights and criminal justice reform. He was named both chair of President Biden’s Presidential Advisory Commission on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Black Americans and a member of the National Advisory Board for the Biden Harris 2024 reelection campaign. When he announced his run for auditor general, he said it was time for a younger generation of leadership, and promised to open a Bureau of Labor and Worker Protections to investigate union busting and wage theft. He says he would increase transparency among hospitals and care providers that use state dollars, review PA’s approach to gun violence reduction, and reclaim the office’s responsibility for school compliance audits.

In 2022, Kenyatta ran for the U.S. Senate and lost to John Fetterman in the primary. He also ran and won another term as state representative.

Malcolm Kenyatta’s Auditor General campaign website

TREASURER

The Pennsylvania Office of the State Treasurer oversees more than $150 billion in state funds (including investments), receiving and depositing state monies. A PA treasurer can serve for up to two four-year terms.

Stacy Garrity, Republican

Current Treasurer Stacy Garrity is running for her first reelection campaign. Before joining elected office, she was a cost accountant at refractory powder manufacturer Global Tungsten & Powders Corp. A retired U.S. Army Reserve colonel, Garrity twice received the Bronze Star for exceptional service. As treasurer, she has worked to expand and reform PA 529 higher-ed saving accounts, upgrade her department’s unclaimed property system, signed and invested $20 million in Israel Bonds, and objected to ESG investing, especially when it comes to climate change.

Garrity is a member of the State Financial Officers Foundation (which also objects to climate change-based investing) and the inaugural chair of the ABLE Savings Plan Network, a National Association of State Treasurers group championing tax-advantaged savings for people with eligible disabilities.

Having backed Trump’s lie that he won the 2020 presidential election, Garrity became the first state official to endorse Trump for reelection.

Stacy Garrity’s campaign website

Select endorsements: Republican Party of Pennsylvania, Life PAC

Erin McClelland, Democrat

Erin McClelland is an addiction counselor and small business entrepreneur from Western PA who has worked as a practice improvement collaborative manager for the Institute of Research Education and Training in Addiction and in performance management in the Allegheny County DHS. Having run for Congress in 2014 and 2016, she surprised insiders by winning the primary for state treasurer. Her bio says her goals are to, “improve government systems, processes, and policies while advocating for our public sector workers.” She would like to increase transparency and reform the state’s supply chain.

In February 2024, her campaign came under fire for accepting donations before she registered a fundraising committee. 

Erin McClellan’s campaign website

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

3rd Congressional District

Northwest, West and some of South Philadelphia

Dwight Evans, Democrat (currently unopposed)

Dwight Evans, U.S. Congressman from the 3rd District since 2016, is seeking his fifth term. Evans served as a PA House of Representatives member for more than 35 years and chaired the powerful Appropriations Committee for over 20 years. In Washington, D.C., he has worked to secure funding for affordable housing across Philadelphia. Evans has a $51 billion plan to address gun violence in the United States. He beat his opponent by nearly a 4-to-1 vote margin in his most recent reelection campaign.

Dwight Evans’ campaign website

Select endorsements: Congressional Black Caucus, League of Conservation Voters, PA AFL-CIO, National Education Association, UFCW 1176

5TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

Delaware County, an exclave of Chester County, a slice of Montgomery County, and a sliver of South Philadelphia

Mary Gay Scanlon, Democrat

Mary Gay Scanlon has represented the 5th District in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2019. Before running for Congress, she was a lawyer at Ballard Spahr and an attorney at the Education Law Center. She serves on the House Committee on Rules and the House Judiciary Committee and is a ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government. She has strongly advocated for President Joe Biden and helped secure an $80 million grant for SEPTA to invest in low-to-no emissions buses.

Mary Gay Scanlon’s campaign website

Select endorsements: Philadelphia Democratic Party, Delaware County Democratic Party, Philadelphia AFL-CIO, National Education Association, Moms Demand Action, Giffords, End Citizens United, Sierra Club

Alfeia “Alfe” Goodwin, Republican

Alfe Goodwin is a veteran Army chaplain, retired Philadelphia police officer and ordained minister who’s volunteered with Girl Scouts of America. She has condemned on-campus protesters of Israel’s actions in Gaza, called Trump’s conviction of 34 felonies in New York “a miscarriage of justice and an instant breach of constitutional rights,” and offered her “unequivocal support” to the “Protect and Serve Act” (HR743) to federally charge anyone who knowingly assaults a law enforcement officer.

Alfe Goodwin’s campaign website.

Endorsements: Delaware County GOP

2ND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

Northeast, some of North Philadelphia, and much of the River Wards

Brendan Boyle, Democrat

Brendan Boyle is running for his fifth term in Congress after being elected in 2014, and after seven years in the PA House of Representatives. Before serving in elected office, Boyle worked as a consultant for the U.S. Department of Defense. The son of Irish immigrants, he was the first person in his family to attend college, choosing the University of Notre Dame, then Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. He is the brother of current State Rep. Kevin Boyle, who lost his primary race after a highly publicized incident at a Montgomery County bar.

Boyle is known for championing income equality and expanded access to education and healthcare. He co-founded and chairs the Blue Collar Caucus, which focuses on stabilizing and growing manufacturing and business trades. He’s backed President Biden at every turn, joined progressives to introduce the Ultra-Millionaire Tax Act in 2021, and is currently a ranking member of the House Budget Committee. He’s also joined Congress’ Philadelphia delegation in seeking federal funding to remediate decaying Philadelphia school buildings.

Brendan Boyle’s campaign website

Select endorsements: Philadelphia Democratic Committee, Congressman Hakeem Jefferies, building and trade unions

PHILADELPHIA DELEGATES TO THE STATE SENATE

The PA Senate is the upper house of Pennsylvania’s legislative body, and the final stop for bills created in the house. Like the U.S. Senate, it is smaller than the lower house. Unlike the U.S. Senate, which gives each State two seats evenly, State Senators all represent proportional districts. Republicans currently hold a 28-22 majority, with 25 seats up for election in 2024.

Incumbent Democrats Nikil Saval (1st District), Sharif Street (3rd District) and Vincent Hughes (7th District) ran unopposed.

5TH DISTRICT

Parts of Northeast Philadelphia (Somerton, Bustleton, Pennypack Park, Torresdale, Homesburg, Bridesburg, including some of the River Wards of Tacony and Port Richmond)

Jimmy Dillon, Democrat

Jimmy Dillon joined the State Senate in 2022 with experience as a grant compliance manager for the School District of Philadelphia, the owner of Hoops 24/7 Basketball Academy, and a former Notre Dame point guard. He has sponsored and cosponsored a number of bills, including SB842, the “Respect the Whistle” act to enhance harassment protections for sports officials, and a bill to make June 2 “Jason Kelce Day.” He’s also a proponent of strengthening worker protections, gun regulation, health insurance benefits, and safeguarding elections from AI interference.

Dillon is the Democratic chair of the Communications and Technology Committee.

Jimmy Dillon’s campaign website

Joe Picozzi, Republican

Somerton native Joe Picozzi has been a senior advisor in strategic planning at the conservative think tank the Manhattan Institute, worked as an assistant to U.S. Rep. and former Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and is a graduate of Georgetown University. The Eagle Scout was a member of the Kappa Alpha fraternity.

According to The Northeast Times, Picozzi is “running to preserve the ‘Northeast Philly dream,'” is “‘appalled’ at the open southern border, adding that the U.S. does not know the background of those illegally crossing,” and “opposes Philadelphia being a sanctuary city.”

In a 2017 story, NBC10 reported that, at age 21, Picozzi had made a list of “30 Under 30” for Red Alert Politics, a conservative news and opinion website in Washington, D.C., reporting he esd the youngest chair of the District’s Federation of College Republicans and worked on the 2016 campaigns for Bucks County’s Brian Fitzpatrick, U.S. Senator Pat Toomey and former President Donald Trump.

Picozzi’s concerns include quality of life issues such as litter, the cost of living, governmental accountability and potholes — along with crime. His candidacy announcement read, “We’re seeing shoplifting, car racing, burglaries and violent crime make their way from the inner city to our homes, in a way they never did 10 years ago.”

Joe Picozzi’s campaign website

REPRESENTATIVES IN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

State Representatives are all elected on even-numbered years to two-year terms.

Whereas U.S. representatives each serve about 707,000 people, state reps serve small districts of about 62,500 residents, making them too small for most media market advertising. The size makes these races much more grassroots, even personal. If you know the candidates in your area, it’s likely through door-knocking, house parties and community outreach rather than radio and TV.

Below is the sole local district with more than one candidate on the ballot.

172ND DISTRICT

Parts of Northeast Philadelphia, including Fox Chase, Burlholme and Rhawnhurst, plus Rockledge, Montgomery County

Sean Dougherty, Democrat

Sean Dougherty is an attorney who resigned as a public defender to run for office after the video of current state Rep. Kevin Boyle’s bar incident circulated on social media. Dougherty holds a law degree from Temple and clerked under Dan McCaffery, now a state Supreme Court justice.

The 30-year-old son of PA Supreme Court Justice Kevin Dougherty is also the nephew of former labor leader John Dougherty, who was convicted on more than 60 counts of conspiracy and embezzlement in December 2023. (During Johnny Doc’s trial, Sean was repeatedly mentioned in connection with a no-show job.)

The Northeast Times wrote the Fox Chase resident’s priorities include public safety foremost, and abortion access, school funding, union jobs and “funding for Philadelphia police to train and retain officers and for public defenders’ offices to retain lawyers who he said have big caseloads but work for low pay.”

Sean Dougherty’s campaign website

Select endorsements: Building trades, Asian Pacific Islander Political Alliance, Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5, PA Democratic Party, Philadelphia Democratic Party, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Planned Parenthood, Democratic state leaders

Aizaz Gill, Republican

Aizaz Gill is the president of the Burholme Town Watch and Civic Association who has worked in community outreach for former City Commissioner Al Schmidt, as City Councilmember Brian O’Neill’s reelection campaign manager, and as PA policy director for Business for America, a bipartisan coalition of business leaders promoting civic participation and voter turnout. A graduate of Father Judge High School and Chestnut Hill College, Gill moved with his family from South Asia to the Great Northeast when he was a child. His focuses include community safety, education — including school choice — reversing inflation, and impeaching Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner.

Aizaz Gill’s campaign website

Select endorsements: Philadelphia Republican City Committee, City Councilmember Brian O’Neill, former Councilmembers David Oh and Al Taubenberger, Dave McCormick, FOP Criminal Investigators Lodge 92

Every Voice, Every Vote funds Philadelphia media and community organizations to expand access to civic news and information. The coalition is led by The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Lead support for Every Voice, Every Vote in 2024 and 2025 is provided by the William Penn Foundation with additional funding from The Lenfest Institute for Journalism, Comcast NBC Universal, The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Henry L. Kimelman Family Foundation, Judy and Peter Leone, Arctos Foundation, Wyncote Foundation, 25th Century Foundation, and Dolfinger-McMahon Foundation.