Former state Rep and Former Auditor General Eugene DePasquale was in Gettysburg Tuesday, the latest stop on a tour of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties, introducing his potential candidacy for Attorney General.
“The Attorney General should be the people’s lawyer,” he told a gathering of about two dozen Democrats gathered at the Adams County party headquarters in Gettysburg Tuesday evening.

DePasquale, who is considering a run to become the commonwealth’s next Attorney General, served in the state House of Representatives from 2007 to 2013 and then served two terms, from 2013 to 2021, as the Pennsylvania Auditor General. He ran unsuccessfully in 2020 for the District 10 seat in the US House of Representatives.
He said his record, particularly as Auditor General, shows that he has the “experience to take on big companies.” Although he did not offer specifics, he pointed out the Norfolk-Southern rail crash in East Palestine, Ohio — only a few miles from the Pennsylvania state line — as an example of the AG’s potential involvement in protecting the people of Pennsylvania.
He explained the job did not allow him to make laws, but he would be in a position to enforce existing laws and to advocate for improvements or new laws in front of the legislature.
Responding to questions from his audience, he said the top issues facing the state include women’s reproductive rights, the environment, and gun control.
“I am a supporter of an assault weapon ban,” he said, adding he also supported tools such as comprehensive background checks. He acknowledged mental issues involved in at least some mass shootings in a recent headline, “but it’s not an excuse for gunning people down.”
DePasquale noted he is only the second attorney general of any state (the other was Massachusetts) who has a family member — his father — who has been convicted of a felony. He explained his father, a war veteran, sustained injuries that resulted in becoming addicted to drugs and eventually to a conviction and jail term for dealing.
“I understand both sides (of the drug problem),” he said. “I’ve seen what happens when they don’t have health insurance.”
DePasquale said he plans to “officially announce” his candidacy on June 1, leading to a run in the 2024 election cycle.
Former Auditor General Eugene DePasquale was in Gettysburg Tuesday, where he met with some local Democrats at county headquarters. Photo by John Messeder.
John Messeder is a freelance reporter and photographer who resides in Cumberland Township. He may be contacted at john@johnmesseder.com