Former prosecutor and Bucks County solicitor Joe Khan is running for Pa. attorney general

Joe Khan, a former prosecutor and Bucks County solicitor, announced his campaign for Pennsylvania attorney general on Wednesday.

Khan, a Democrat, pledged to take on “big fights” against powerful corporations and politicians — taking a page from Gov. Josh Shapiro’s tenure as attorney general.

In 2020, Khan helped defend Bucks County from former President Donald Trump’s push to throw out thousands of mail ballots.

Khan, 47, most recently helped Bucks County file a number of high-profile lawsuits, including a class-action lawsuit against several social media giants. He stepped down as county solicitor earlier this year to explore a run for attorney general.

Khan also pointed to his legal work prior to becoming county solicitor, such as helping Allentown and other municipalities sue pharmaceutical manufacturers for their role in the opioid epidemic. He pledged to protect Pennsylvanians’ civil rights if elected attorney general.

“I have been out there fighting that fight, to make sure that my kids don’t grow up in a world with fewer rights than I have,” said Khan, who lives in Doylestown Borough with his two sons.

Khan is the second candidate to join the race ahead of the May 2024 primary. Former Auditor General Eugene DePasquale announced his candidacy last week. No Republican candidates have announced their campaign so far.

But the candidate field for attorney general is expected to grow: At least six Republicans and six Democrats have been rumored to run for the top prosecutor spot, which can serve as a springboard to higher office. Two of the state’s last three governors — Shapiro and Tom Corbett — served as attorney general before becoming governor.

The 2024 race is wide open. Shapiro resigned earlier this year from his position as attorney general to be sworn in and appointed his deputy, Michelle Henry, as his replacement through next year. Henry does not plan to run.

The former Philadelphia assistant district attorney and federal prosecutor said he’s running to “continue what has been a lifelong fight to keep people safe.”

As a Philadelphia assistant district attorney, Khan specialized in sexual assault, child abuse and domestic violence cases, according to a news release announcing his campaign. As an assistant U.S. attorney, he focused on gun crimes and child predators.

He said his upbringing as the son of a Muslim immigrant and a Catholic nurse who grew up in a Jewish neighborhood forged his belief that government “has to work for all of us.” The first-generation American, whose father immigrated from Pakistan, said he believes the state needs an attorney general who is involved with immigrant communities. He noted recent immigrant election wins like that of Nina Ahmad in Philadelphia’s Democratic primary for at-large City Council seats. Ahmad is poised to become the first South Asian Council member.

Khan was the runner-up for Philadelphia district attorney to Larry Krasner in the Democratic primary in 2017. At the time, Khan was the top fundraiser and former Gov. Ed Rendell’s endorsed pick in the seven-candidate field.

Khan remains a partner at Yardley’s Curtin & Heefner LLP as a public sector lawyer. He was awarded the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s “Government Lawyer of the Year” in 2022.

Khan’s brother, State Rep. Tarik Khan (D., Philadelphia,) was elected to the state House last year. His brother was among a list of seven state lawmakers who endorsed Joe Khan for attorney general. Others on the list include Sen. Nikil Saval (D., Philadelphia) and Rep. Joe Hohenstein (D., Philadelphia).