The petitions are in. Here’s who’s running for Pennsylvania attorney general

The field for Pennsylvania’s hotly contested attorney general race was solidified on Tuesday, with a filing deadline that signaled candidates’ last chance to throw their hat into the ring.

As the top law enforcement official in the state, the position carries major influence. It’s also viewed as a springboard for higher office — two of Pennsylvania’s last three governors were previously in the position.

There will be both Democratic and Republican primaries, and the spot is ripe for the taking after current Attorney General Michelle Henry chose not to run for a full term. Henry, a former Republican who became a Democrat last year, was appointed to finish Gov. Josh Shapiro’s second term as the top prosecutor when Shapiro took office as governor last year.

Candidates were required to file their petitions by 5 p.m. Tuesday, but the ballot isn’t final. Petitions can be challenged until Feb. 20 and candidates have until Feb. 28 to withdraw from the race.

The Democratic primary is crowded and wide open, as the the party didn’t endorse a candidate in the race.

The GOP race, on the other hand, has whittled down to two candidates: York County District Attorney David Sunday, who pocketed the party’s endorsement, and State. Rep. Craig Williams, who represents parts of Chester and Delaware Counties.

Former Delaware County District Attorney Katayoun “Kat” Copeland dropped out of the Republican race to support Sunday, who was a clear party favorite having won all the regional GOP committee straw polls and receiving the Republican Attorneys General Association’s endorsement. The party sees the race as a chance to flip a powerful seat after struggling to win other statewide races.

Sunday, 48, was the first Republican to join the race last summer and won over the Pennsylvania Republican Party’s early endorsement. The Navy veteran has worked as a prosecutor in York County for 15 years, and is in his second term as district attorney.

Sunday said that he would be “dedicated to implementing collaborative public safety initiatives rooted in accountability and redemption” if elected.

His campaign website highlights being tough on crime and largely focuses on his experience as a prosecutor. It says he “personally tried approximately fifty felony jury trials to verdict, including the successful prosecutions of over ten of the most high-profile York County murders in recent memory.” His team handles more than 9,000 cases each year, according to the Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA).

Rep. Williams, 58, of Concord Township, is a U.S. Marine Corps combat veteran who is also running on a tough-on-crime message. He highlighted footage of crimes in Philly in his campaign announcement video, and said “looting, carjacking and murder are out of control, often with no circumstances.”

Before becoming a lawmaker, Williams worked as a chief prosecutor and legal counsel to the joint chiefs of staff on a Marine Corps base and as a federal prosecutor. If elected, Williams said he’d ensure the attorney general’s office more aggressively prosecutes felons who possess firearms.

In 2022, Williams led the effort to impeach Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner. Last year, he had a spat with RAGA over the endorsement process and decided to enter the race without their support.

Bradford-Grey, 48, Philadelphia’s former chief public defender, would be the first Pennsylvania attorney general to have spent most of her legal career as a public defender rather than as a prosecutor. She also worked at the top public defender in Montgomery County, and said her experience on the other side of the court helps her understand where the criminal justice system needs improvement.

Bradford-Grey, of East Germantown, would also be the state’s first Black attorney general and first Black woman to hold a statewide row office. She has been on the front lines of racial justice issues, including in 2020.

DePasquale, 51, the former two-term Pennsylvania auditor general, is running on the promise that he can win a statewide race, after twice getting elected as the state’s top fiscal watchdog. In 2020, however, the Pittsburgh native unsuccessfully challenged Trump. ally U.S. Rep. Scott Perry (R., York) in Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional District.

DePasquale listed abortion access, book bans, climate change, gun violence, and voting rights as “critical fights” that he’s ready to take on if he wins the race. He was the top candidate for the party’s endorsement but did not meet the required two-thirds threshold.

Khan, 47, a former Philadelphia assistant district attorney, assistant U.S. attorney, and Bucks County solicitor, pledged to take on “big fights” against powerful corporations and politicians. If elected, Khan would be the first Asian American elected to statewide office in Pennsylvania.

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

The first-generation American, whose father immigrated from Pakistan, said he believes the state needs an attorney general who is involved with immigrant communities.

State Rep. Solomon, who represents Northeast Philly, said he would work against corruption and expand the mission of the office beyond just law enforcement to also invest in violence prevention.

“I want to really test the limits,” he said, to have “an all-encompassing view of safety.”

Solomon, 44, was a community activist and military lawyer before winning his seat in 2016.

Stollsteimer, 60, was the first-ever Democrat elected as Delaware County’s district attorney, and he announced that he would join the crowded attorney general race less than a month after winning reelection.

Stollsteimer, of Havertown, said he wants to expand his work fighting against wage theft of workers and curbing gun violence in one of Pennsylvania’s most populous counties to the whole state.

Stollsteimer previously worked on a gun violence task force as an assistant U.S. attorney and was appointed as an independent watchdog of school safety in Philadelphia under former Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell from 2006 to 2009.