Republicans now lead all three of Pa.’s row offices, as Dave Sunday is sworn in as state attorney general
Treasurer Stacy Garrity and Auditor General Tim DeFoor, both Republicans, were also sworn in Tuesday, marking the first time Republicans were elected to hold all three row offices.
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday was sworn in Tuesday as the state’s top prosecutor, beginning a new period of Republican control of Pennsylvania’s three statewide row offices.
Sunday, the former York County district attorney and a career prosecutor, took the helm of the powerful attorney general’s office Tuesday with a focus on enforcing the state’s laws — but also embracing second chances.
Treasurer Stacy Garrity and Auditor General Tim DeFoor, both Republicans, were also sworn in Tuesday for their second terms, in separate ceremonies that preceded Sunday’s swearing-in. The treasurer controls the state’s coffers and pays its bills, while the auditor general is the state’s fiscal watchdog.
This marks the first time Republicans were elected to hold all three independent row offices.
The newly sworn-in Republican attorney general, who previously said he would take a conservative approach to the position and be led by the state’s existing laws, will now decide how he will lead the office. He will have the chance to represent Pennsylvania’s interests nationally in lawsuits against the federal government — just as Democratic attorneys general from 18 states filed their first suit Tuesday against President Donald Trump’s administration.
He will also need to navigate relationships with all 67 county district attorneys — with Philadelphia’s progressive district attorney, Larry Krasner, suggesting during the campaign that he would have a challenging relationship with Sunday.
The Pennsylvania attorney general is tasked with investigating corruption and enforcing the state’s laws, among other duties. The position is also seen as a springboard to higher office, with two of the state’s last three governors having previously served as attorney general, including Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro.
Sunday, elected to a four-year term as attorney general, said he is not going to run for governor in 2026 — when Shapiro is up for reelection.
Sunday ran on a promise of accountability and redemption, an unusual focus for a GOP prosecutor.
“We absolutely must hold criminals accountable. At the same time, we need to embrace redemption for those who have been held accountable and seek to better their lives,” Sunday said in a speech following his swearing-in.
“Magic happens when people work together to create an increased feeling of self-worth and an understanding that individuals have the power within themselves to change the circumstances of their lives,” he added.
Sunday is the first Republican elected as attorney general since former Gov. Tom Corbett, who led the attorney general’s office from 2005 until 2011, when he began his term as governor.
Corbett, whom Sunday chose to chair his transition committee, urged Sunday to “take the politics as much as you possibly can out of this” and be led by four words: “Do the right thing.”
Shapiro spoke at all three of the row officers’ swearing-ins and praised them for their commitment to doing good work for residents of the state. At Sunday’s ceremony, the Democratic governor was sentimental about his time as attorney general and said he has confidence in the Republican prosecutor to face the mental and emotional challenges that come with the role — which he said can be “exhilarating.”
“Pennsylvania needs someone like Dave who is grounded in integrity and something deeper than just the politics of a particular moment,” Shapiro said.
Sunday defeated Democrat Eugene DePasquale, a former state auditor general, in a multimillion-dollar election, as presidential and U.S. Senate candidates monopolized the airwaves. Sunday was largely supported by the deep pockets of the national Republican Attorneys General Association, as well as a political action committee mainly funded by Pennsylvania’s richest man, Jeff Yass.
DePasquale, for his part, was supported by the national Democratic Attorneys General Association and a number of labor unions.
The GOP trifecta in row offices was one of many wins by Pennsylvania Republicans in the 2024 election, which also saw the state go to Donald Trump in the presidential race and elect Republican Dave McCormick to the U.S. Senate.
Garrity, in an interview, called the Republican control of the row offices “super exciting.”
“We now have all three row officers, first time ever in the history since the attorney general has been a voting position,” she said, in reference that attorneys general were appointed in Pennsylvania until 1981.