In the Democratic Primary for Pennsylvania’s attorney general seat, Eugene DePasquale has the most name recognition after serving as the state’s auditor general for two terms, according to one of his rivals.
But it’s that rival, Jewish state Rep Jared Solomon, who lives in and represents Northeast Philadelphia in the Pennsylvania House, who has the most money with more than $1 million.
Solomon’s task in the closing days ahead of the April 23 primary? Spend!
If you live in Pennsylvania and watch TV, you probably have seen him recently. He’s in an ad with his mom. He’s in another one touting his F grade from the National Rifle Association.
These commercials are running in every major media market in the state, according to Solomon’s campaign. The fourth-term state rep has almost no other media strategy. He just needs voters to learn his name.
The Democratic presidential primary is not competitive. President Joe Biden is the nominee. Therefore, the primary is likely to be a low-turnout election, according to Solomon’s campaign. Therefore, older voters will likely decide it. And older voters watch TV.
We’ll see if it’s enough. DePasquale is not buying TV ads.
In his commercial about his F rating from the NRA, Solomon also touted his 100% grade from Planned Parenthood. And abortion is one of two “fundamental values and freedoms” that he’s focused on. The other is the right to vote.
As attorney general, the Congregation Rodeph Shalom member would do everything in his power to uphold both, he said.
“For the first time in my lifetime, we’ve had foundational freedoms taken away. The post-Dobbs world is the new world,” he said. “Elections have become the highly charged, movement type of politics that questions the very right to vote. That’s a serious problem. That goes to two foundational values that for decade after decade have been protected.”
Solomon was referring to the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. The justices overturned the constitutional right to an abortion.
He was also referring to former President Donald Trump’s denial of his defeat in the 2020 presidential election. Trump filed more than 50 lawsuits to overturn results in various swing states. He attacked expanded voting access measures such as mail-in balloting.
Democrats have focused on those two issues in the last two election cycles, 2022 and 2023, and performed better than expected. They have retained control of the U.S. Senate, won gubernatorial races in swing states such as Wisconsin and red states such as Kentucky and scored victories in ballot measures protecting abortion access in Ohio and Kansas, among other states.
The party has done all this despite Biden’s consistently low approval rating.
“That’s why I’m running: To make sure we have someone to take on these fights,” Solomon said.
As a Jew, he’s also running to start a hate crimes task force at the state level. Solomon recognizes the rise in antisemitism since Oct. 7 and, as attorney general, he would use his power to fight it, he says.
“My faith, my people, my true north has been under attack. The rise of antisemitism, it’s something that scares me,” he said. “It’s something that only my grandparents experienced when they came to this country. It is back.”
Solomon said his office would “condemn acts of hate and animus towards any group.” He further explained: “We’ll use DAs on the ground to make sure we prosecute these acts.”
The candidate also advocated for his House colleague Dan Frankel’s effort to expand Pennsylvania’s hate crimes legislation. Frankel represents the Squirrel Hill neighborhood that experienced the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting in 2018.
Frankel’s bill would give the attorney general the power to track hate crime activity across the state.
“We have to make sure we hold people that have animus towards any group accountable,” Solomon said.
In addition to his TV ads, Solomon is “running, running, running” over these final days of the campaign, he said.
“I’ve been out with people. I hear what they want. I think my message works,” he said.
If Solomon wins, he will advance to what will likely be a competitive general election in November.
