Election 2012 - PA Attorney General Race

When Pennsylvania voters go to the polls next Tuesday, they might make history. Neither a Democrat nor a woman has ever been elected Attorney General of the Commonwealth. Democrat Kathleen Kane, a former Lackawanna County assistant district attorney, seems poised to snap that streak in her race against Republican Cumberland County District Attorney David Freed. Polls have shown her consistently leading Freed by double digits. Libertarian candidate Marakay Rogers, a private attorney in York, also is on the ballot.  Who do you think will win the A.G.'s race and what do you want him or her to do in office? Weigh in with your thoughts Thursday night at 8 at 1-800-729-7532, email smarttalk@witf.org, post a comment here, to Facebook, or to Twitter.

Freed and Kane have met just once in a debate last week at the Widener University School of Law in Harrisburg. (Rogers, citing a work conflict, did not participate.)  Kane pledges to conduct a thorough investigation into how the Attorney General’s Office managed the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse case. She said she would not have used a grand jury to gather evidence and would have devoted more and different personnel and resources in the early days of the investigation. Critics of Republican Governor Tom Corbett, who launched the probe while he was attorney general, accuse him of foot dragging in order to delay prosecution until after his gubernatorial run. Corbett denies any political motivation in his handling of the Sandusky case and points to Sandusky’s conviction on 45 of 48 charges as proof that it was a well-prosecuted case.

Freed contends that he is better suited to the A.G.’s job given its hefty management responsibilities and his seven years as the Cumberland County D.A. He promises a thorough “review” of the Sandusky matter. Both candidates pledge to aggressively pursue prosecution of child predators and to beef up investigations of elder abuse.  Kane’s vows to enforce consumer protection laws (Note: Capitolwire article has paywall) vigorously has sparked concern in the business community which generally backs Freed.  Business leaders fear she will use the law as a sword against them, rather than as a shield to protect consumers.  Freed says he wants to keep "a level playing field" in his approach to business and consumer affairs.

Joining our panel are Mary Wilson, capitol bureau chief for witf-fm 89.5, John Micek, state house reporter for The Morning Call of Allentown, Keegan Gibson, managing editor of PoliticsPA, and Amy Worden, a reporter who covers politics and government for The Philadelphia Inquirer.