York County’s Republican district legal professional jumps into major race for Pennsylvania legal professional basic

By BROOKE SCHULTZ Related Press/Report for America

Dave Sunday, York County’s elected district legal professional, mentioned he’ll run in subsequent yr’s GOP major for state legal professional basic, making him the primary Republican to get within the race.

Sunday, who has been York’s district legal professional since 2018, joins three Democrats who even have introduced they’ll search the highest regulation enforcement job within the presidential battleground state.

Sunday, 48, started working for the district legal professional’s workplace in 2009. He was chief deputy prosecutor below the previous district legal professional, overseeing main crimes instances and the felony narcotics unit.

He was later appointed by the U.S. Division of Justice to be particular assistant United States legal professional for the Center District of Pennsylvania to prosecute gang, gun and drug instances in federal court docket. In that position, he was concerned with the arrest and prosecution of greater than 100 individuals related to the Latin Kings gang in York County.

By way of the district legal professional’s workplace, he has targeted on the opioid epidemic. He labored with the county coroner to discovered what grew to become the nonprofit York County Opioid Collaborative, which works to extend entry to remedy. He mentioned its efforts have lowered felony costs and the jail inhabitants and in addition freed up police to give attention to violent crime.

“Probably the most pivotal experiences in my complete life has been our battle in opposition to the opioid epidemic,” Sunday mentioned in a telephone interview. “It’s a generation-altering epidemic that we’re within the throes of preventing.”

Sunday enlisted within the Navy at age 18. Afterward he attended Penn State for an undergraduate diploma in finance whereas working for UPS. He holds a regulation diploma from Widener Legislation College.

“I had a really circuitous path to get to the place I’m proper now,” he mentioned. “It’s an essential a part of who I’m and drives the overwhelming majority of my felony justice insurance policies.”

The three Democrats who’re additionally working are Keir Bradford-Gray, the previous head of Philadelphia’s public protection attorneys; Eugene DePasquale, former state auditor basic; and Joe Khan, a former federal prosecutor. State Rep. Jared Solomon has additionally mentioned he’s significantly contemplating working.

The state legal professional basic’s workplace has a funds of about $120 million yearly and performs a important position in arresting drug traffickers, preventing gun trafficking, defending state legal guidelines in court docket and defending customers from predatory practices.

The workplace helped lead state attorneys basic in settlement talks with pharmaceutical distributors and producers over the opioid disaster. It additionally performed a central position in defending the integrity of the 2020 vote in Pennsylvania in opposition to repeated makes an attempt to overturn it in state and federal courts by former President Donald Trump’s marketing campaign and Republican allies.

The legal professional basic’s workplace is at the moment led by Michelle Henry, who was appointed by her predecessor, Democrat Josh Shapiro, to serve the final two years of his time period after he was sworn in as Pennsylvania governor in January. She has mentioned she doesn’t plan to enter the race.