Shapiro Leads Over Heidelbaugh In PA Attorney General Race

Updated: 4:45 a.m.

HARRISBURG, PA — Democratic incumbent Josh Shapiro has grabbed the lead from Republican Heather Heidelbaugh for the state attorney general's office, according to the Pennsylvania Department of State website.

Shapiro has 3,155,037 votes to Heidelbaugh's 3,021,161. However, many more mail-in ballots across the state have yet to be counted so there is no certain victor in the race. All results are unofficial until certified by individual county elections bureaus.

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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.

In recently endorsing Shapiro, PennLive noted that "During the pandemic, Shapiro’s office has shut down scams and issued numerous consumer alerts. He says he recovered $2 million for state residents who were defrauded; in addition, he’s investigating unemployment compensation fraud."

"Shapiro, currently in his first term, is considered a rising star in the state," a recent post on the Cook Political 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 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.

Heidelbaugh has said she has heard complaints from district attorneys across the state that Shapiro does not communicate with them. She is running on a platform that includes strategizing with local, state and federal law enforcement officials to help combat the ongoing opioid crisis.

See full coverage of the election in Pennsylvania here.

Additional reporting by Max Bennett and Justin Heinze.