Shapiro, Heidelbaugh Vie For PA Attorney General Post

HARRISBURG, PA —There are no certainties in elections, but Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro seemingly has a good chance of withstanding a challenge from Republican Heather Heidelbaugh of Pittsburgh and winning a second term.

A former Montgomery County commissioner, Shapiro, 47,, was elected to the state House before being elected before being elected attorney general in 2016, He has never previously served as a prosecutor, but he was a member of the state bar and worked with the law firm Stradley Ronon.

Shapiro campaigned on his promise to restore the office's integrity following Kathleen Kane's resignation and her conviction for perjury, obstruction of justice and other charges. Shapiro won election as attorney general, defeating Republican nominee John Rafferty Jr. with 51.3 percent of the vote.

"Shapiro, currently in his first term, is considered a rising star in the state,"a post on the Cook Politcal Report website stated.

"He leads Heidelbaugh by a wide margin in fundraising, although Republicans are enthusiastic about her candidacy. In winning the office in 2016, Shapiro outperformed fellow Democrat Hillary Clinton as she was losing the state; with Democrats seemingly in a better position in the 2020 presidential race, Shapiro is favored to win another term."

Shapiro has raised nearly $8 million compared to Heidelbaugh's $2.3 million.

Heidelbaugh’s work in law and policy led to her appointment to the Governor’s Commission on Judicial Appointments in 1998. Two decades later, she became the chair of the state advisory commission on selection of a U.S. Attorney, United States Marshall, and federal judiciary.

Heidelbaugh has served in a variety of party and civic posts and is a familiar face and voice on the city’s television and radio talk shows, where she provided political analysis. She also has served as an at-large Allegheny County council member.

“The attorney general is the lawyer for the people,” Heidelbaugh said in a statement on her campaign website.

“The citizens of Pennsylvania need a real lawyer who understands the complexities of the law, the intersection between policy and law, and how the law impacts people’s lives.”

Heidelbaugh resides in Mt. Lebanon, and has served on the boards of Goodwill Industries, Carnegie Library, and as a Parish Council member of St. John Capistran Roman Catholic Church in the South Hills of Pittsburgh.