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Pennsylvania Attorney General election, 2024 (April 23 Republican primary)

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Pennsylvania Attorney General
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Democratic primary
Republican primary
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: February 13, 2024
Primary: April 23, 2024
General: November 5, 2024
How to vote
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Voting in Pennsylvania
Ballotpedia analysis
Federal and state primary competitiveness
State executive elections in 2024
Impact of term limits in 2024
State government trifectas
State government triplexes
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2024
Pennsylvania
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Attorney General

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A Republican Party primary took place on April 23, 2024, in Pennsylvania to determine which candidate would earn the right to run as the party's nominee in the state's attorney general election on November 5, 2024.

Dave Sunday advanced from the Republican primary for Attorney General of Pennsylvania.

This page focuses on Pennsylvania's Republican Party Attorney General primary. For more in-depth information on Pennsylvania's Democratic Attorney General primary and the general election, see the following pages:

Candidates and election results

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Attorney General of Pennsylvania

Dave Sunday defeated Craig Williams in the Republican primary for Attorney General of Pennsylvania on April 23, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Dave Sunday
Dave Sunday
 
69.9
 
620,515
Image of Craig Williams
Craig Williams
 
29.5
 
261,419
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.6
 
5,282

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 887,216
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.

Dave Sunday

Image of Dave Sunday

WebsiteFacebookTwitter

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: 

  • York County District Attorney (Assumed office: 2018)

Biography:  Sunday received a bachelor's degree from Penn State University and a law degree from Widener Law School. He previously served in the U.S. Navy and was the Chief Deputy Prosecutor of Litigation in the York County District Attorney's office.


Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

Sunday ran on his experience as a prosecutor: "The attorney general is the chief law enforcement officer for the state. You absolutely, hands down, need an attorney general who understands the entire criminal justice system from the bottom all the way to the top, and that's me. I've done everything from the lowest of the low prosecutor worked my way up all the way to twice elected district attorney general. I've addressed the opioid epidemic, I've addressed mental health. I have also prosecuted many murderers."

Sunday said he would collaborate with government and community organizations: "As a District Attorney, I have a proven track record of bringing people together to bring about change in our communities through collaborative efforts with our local police, churches, health systems and community leaders to combat crime in York. I will bring that experience with me to the Attorney General’s office to bring accountability and redemption to our criminal justice system."

Sunday said he would address both the supply and demand sides of the opioid epidemic: "My philosophy of criminal justice is accountability and redemption. You have to have both. You must hold people accountable, but on the other side of it, we have to embrace redemption, and we have to do work that encompasses prevention as well."

Show sources

Sources: PCNTV, "On The Issues: Dave Sunday (2/21/2024)," February 21, 2024; City and State Pennsylvania, "‘If our community’s not safe, nothing else matters’: A Q&A with York County DA and attorney general candidate Dave Sunday," March 25, 2024; Committee of Seventy, "Dave Sunday," accessed September 3, 2024; Dave Sunday 2024 campaign website, "About," accessed August 21, 2024

This information was current as of the candidate's run for Attorney General of Pennsylvania in 2024.

Voting information

See also: Voting in Pennsylvania

Election information in Pennsylvania: April 23, 2024, election.

What was the voter registration deadline?

  • In-person: April 8, 2024
  • By mail: Received by April 8, 2024
  • Online: April 8, 2024

Was absentee/mail-in voting available to all voters?

N/A

What was the absentee/mail-in ballot request deadline?

  • In-person: April 16, 2024
  • By mail: Received by April 16, 2024
  • Online: April 16, 2024

What was the absentee/mail-in ballot return deadline?

  • In-person: April 23, 2024
  • By mail: Received by April 23, 2024

Was early voting available to all voters?

N/A

What were the early voting start and end dates?

N/A to April 16, 2024

Were all voters required to present ID at the polls? If so, was a photo or non-photo ID required?

N/A

When were polls open on Election Day?

7:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. (EST)


Election analysis

Click the tabs below to view information about demographics, past elections, and partisan control of the state.

  • Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the state.
  • Statewide elections - Information about recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections in the state.
  • State partisanship - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.
  • Demographics - Information about the state's demographics and how they compare to the country as a whole.


See also: Presidential voting trends in Pennsylvania and The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index

Cook PVI by congressional district

Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index for Pennsylvania, 2024
District Incumbent Party PVI
Pennsylvania's 1st Brian Fitzpatrick Ends.png Republican Even
Pennsylvania's 2nd Brendan Boyle Electiondot.png Democratic D+20
Pennsylvania's 3rd Dwight Evans Electiondot.png Democratic D+39
Pennsylvania's 4th Madeleine Dean Electiondot.png Democratic D+7
Pennsylvania's 5th Mary Gay Scanlon Electiondot.png Democratic D+14
Pennsylvania's 6th Chrissy Houlahan Electiondot.png Democratic D+5
Pennsylvania's 7th Susan Wild Electiondot.png Democratic R+2
Pennsylvania's 8th Matt Cartwright Electiondot.png Democratic R+4
Pennsylvania's 9th Dan Meuser Ends.png Republican R+21
Pennsylvania's 10th Scott Perry Ends.png Republican R+5
Pennsylvania's 11th Lloyd Smucker Ends.png Republican R+13
Pennsylvania's 12th Summer Lee Electiondot.png Democratic D+8
Pennsylvania's 13th John Joyce Ends.png Republican R+25
Pennsylvania's 14th Guy Reschenthaler Ends.png Republican R+18
Pennsylvania's 15th Glenn Thompson Ends.png Republican R+21
Pennsylvania's 16th Mike Kelly Ends.png Republican R+13
Pennsylvania's 17th Christopher Deluzio Electiondot.png Democratic Even


2020 presidential results by 2024 congressional district lines

2020 presidential results in congressional districts based on 2024 district lines, Pennsylvania[1]
District Joe Biden Democratic Party Donald Trump Republican Party
Pennsylvania's 1st 51.8% 47.2%
Pennsylvania's 2nd 71.0% 28.3%
Pennsylvania's 3rd 90.2% 9.3%
Pennsylvania's 4th 58.9% 40.0%
Pennsylvania's 5th 65.7% 33.4%
Pennsylvania's 6th 56.8% 42.0%
Pennsylvania's 7th 49.7% 49.1%
Pennsylvania's 8th 48.0% 50.9%
Pennsylvania's 9th 31.0% 67.5%
Pennsylvania's 10th 47.2% 51.3%
Pennsylvania's 11th 38.6% 59.9%
Pennsylvania's 12th 59.4% 39.5%
Pennsylvania's 13th 26.8% 72.0%
Pennsylvania's 14th 33.7% 65.2%
Pennsylvania's 15th 30.8% 67.8%
Pennsylvania's 16th 39.0% 59.7%
Pennsylvania's 17th 52.3% 46.5%


2012-2020

How a state's counties vote in a presidential election and the size of those counties can provide additional insights into election outcomes at other levels of government including statewide and congressional races. Below, four categories are used to describe each county's voting pattern over the 2012, 2016, and 2020 presidential elections: Solid, Trending, Battleground, and New. Click [show] on the table below for examples:


Following the 2020 presidential election, 47.2% of Pennsylvanians lived in one of the state's 10 Solid Democratic counties, which voted for the Democratic presidential candidate in every election from 2012 to 2020, and 41.7% lived in one of 53 Solid Republican counties. Overall, Pennsylvania was Battleground Democratic, having voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2012, Donald Trump (R) in 2016, and Joe Biden (D) in 2020. Use the table below to view the total number of each type of county in Pennsylvania following the 2020 election as well as the overall percentage of the state population located in each county type.

Historical voting trends

Pennsylvania presidential election results (1900-2020)

  • 14 Democratic wins
  • 16 Republican wins
  • 1 other win
Year 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020
Winning Party R R R P[2] R R R R R D D D R R R D D D R D R R R D D D D D D R D

This section details the results of the five most recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections held in the state.

U.S. Senate elections

See also: List of United States Senators from Pennsylvania

The table below details the vote in the five most recent U.S. Senate races in Pennsylvania.

U.S. Senate election results in Pennsylvania
Race Winner Runner up
2022 51.2%Democratic Party 46.3%Republican Party
2018 55.7%Democratic Party 42.6%Republican Party
2016 48.9%Republican Party 47.2%Democratic Party
2012 53.7%Democratic Party 44.6%Republican Party
2010 51.0%Republican Party 49.0%Democratic Party
Average 53.6 44.9

Gubernatorial elections

See also: Governor of Pennsylvania

The table below details the vote in the five most recent gubernatorial elections in Pennsylvania.

Gubernatorial election results in Pennsylvania
Race Winner Runner up
2022 56.5%Democratic Party 41.7%Republican Party
2018 57.8%Democratic Party 40.7%Republican Party
2014 54.9%Democratic Party 45.1%Republican Party
2010 54.5%Republican Party 45.5%Democratic Party
2006 60.3%Democratic Party 39.6%Republican Party
Average 56.2 43.1
See also: Party control of Pennsylvania state government

Congressional delegation

The table below displays the partisan composition of Pennsylvania's congressional delegation as of May 2024.

Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Pennsylvania
Party U.S. Senate U.S. House Total
Democratic 1 7 8
Republican 1 10 11
Independent 0 0 0
Vacancies 0 0 0
Total 2 17 19

State executive

The table below displays the officeholders in Pennsylvania's top four state executive offices as of May 2024.

State executive officials in Pennsylvania, May 2024
Office Officeholder
Governor Democratic Party Josh Shapiro
Lieutenant Governor Democratic Party Austin Davis
Secretary of State Republican Party Al Schmidt
Attorney General Democratic Party Michelle Henry

State legislature

Pennsylvania State Senate

Party As of February 2024
     Democratic Party 22
     Republican Party 28
     Independent 0
     Other 0
     Vacancies 0
Total 50

Pennsylvania House of Representatives

Party As of February 2024
     Democratic Party 101
     Republican Party 100
     Other 0
     Vacancies 2
Total 203

Trifecta control

The table below shows the state's trifecta status from 1992 until the 2024 election.

Pennsylvania Party Control: 1992-2024
One year of a Democratic trifecta  •  Twelve years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
Governor D D D R R R R R R R R D D D D D D D D R R R R D D D D D D D D D D
Senate R D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
House D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R D D

The table below details demographic data in Pennsylvania and compares it to the broader United States as of 2022.

Demographic Data for Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania United States
Population 13,002,700 331,449,281
Land area (sq mi) 44,741 3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White 77.1% 65.9%
Black/African American 10.8% 12.5%
Asian 3.6% 5.8%
Native American 0.2% 0.8%
Pacific Islander 0% 0.2%
Other (single race) 3.1% 6%
Multiple 5.1% 8.8%
Hispanic/Latino 8.1% 18.7%
Education
High school graduation rate 91.7% 89.1%
College graduation rate 33.8% 34.3%
Income
Median household income $73,170 $75,149
Persons below poverty level 8% 8.8%
Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2020). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2017-2022).
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

State profile

Demographic data for Pennsylvania
 PennsylvaniaU.S.
Total population:12,791,904316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):44,7433,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:81.6%73.6%
Black/African American:11%12.6%
Asian:3.1%5.1%
Native American:0.2%0.8%
Pacific Islander:0%0.2%
Two or more:2.1%3%
Hispanic/Latino:6.4%17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:89.2%86.7%
College graduation rate:28.6%29.8%
Income
Median household income:$53,599$53,889
Persons below poverty level:15.9%11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015)
Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Pennsylvania.
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Presidential voting pattern

See also: Presidential voting trends in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania voted for the Democratic candidate in five out of the seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.

Pivot Counties (2016)

Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, three are located in Pennsylvania, accounting for 1.46 percent of the total pivot counties.[3]

Pivot Counties (2020)

In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Pennsylvania had one Retained Pivot County and two Boomerang Pivot Counties, accounting for 0.55 and 8.00 percent of all Retained and Boomerang Pivot Counties, respectively.

More Pennsylvania coverage on Ballotpedia

See also

Pennsylvania State Executive Elections News and Analysis
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Pennsylvania State Executive Offices
Pennsylvania State Legislature
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2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016
Pennsylvania elections: 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016
Party control of state government
State government trifectas
State of the state addresses
Partisan composition of governors

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' presidential results by congressional district for 2020, 2016, and 2012," accessed December 15, 2023
  2. ↑ Progressive Party
  3. ↑ The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
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