5-Term Republican District Attorney Endorses Shapiro For Attorney General
PENNSYLVANIA — Democratic attorney general candidate Josh Shapiro has bridged the partisan divide throughout his entire career and has put the needs of Pennsylvanians ahead of politics. Last week, Republican District Attorney Jim Martin, one of the longest-serving Republican DAs in the state, crossed party lines to endorse Shapiro for attorney general.
Josh Shapiro will be an attorney general who will tackle issues that know no party, and Republicans are noticing. He’ll fight the opioid epidemic, defend our seniors, and protect Pennsylvania’s environment. Read about his latest endorsement here:
Allentown Morning Call: Republican Lehigh County DA backs Democrat Josh Shapiro for attorney general
By Steve Esack
HARRISBURG — Jim Martin, Lehigh County’s long-time Republican district attorney, has crossed party lines to endorse Democrat Josh Shapiro for state attorney general.
Shapiro’s campaign announced Martin’s endorsement in an email sent Thursday. The announcement also said Martin had organized a private bipartisan political event in Lehigh Valley for Shapiro, a Montgomery County commissioner and former state representative.
The Republican candidate is John Rafferty, a Montgomery County state senator and former deputy attorney general in the agency’s Medicaid Fraud Unit.
In a statement, Martin said he admires Shapiro’s work as chairman of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency and his ethical leadership as a county commissioner.
“As a prosecutor and a Republican for over two decades, I’ve admired his no-nonsense, ethical leadership in Montgomery County and his close collaboration with law enforcement,” Martin said in a statement distributed by Shapiro’s campaign. “Josh is the best candidate to put the people’s safety first, regardless of politics — he has the integrity and executive experience we need in our attorney general and I’m proud to cross party lines to support him.”
Shapiro said in his own statement: “Jim Martin is one of the most innovative and seasoned prosecutors in our commonwealth. I’m deeply honored to have his support.”
Rafferty’s campaign manager Mike Barley said he is not sure how much impact local endorsements have on elections but it is surprising that someone with Martin’s legal background would back a candidate who has not been a prosecutor or defense lawyer.
“Josh Shapiro has never stepped foot in a courtroom,” Barley said.
Rafferty has been endorsed by 16 district attorneys, all Republicans.
Martin has been district attorney since 1998. He served as president of the state district Attorneys Association from 2006 to 2007.
Martin’s endorsement comes two months after Shapiro won the Democratic primary election over second-place finisher Allegheny County District Attorney Steve Zapalla and third-place finisher Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli.
Rafferty easily defeated Joe Peters, a former Scranton police officer and federal prosecutor.
Since the primary, Morganelli has stayed out of the election debate and has not endorsed anyone. “Not really thinking about that,” Morganelli said Thursday about the election.
Rafferty and Shapiro essentially are vying for a vacant position as the top criminal and civil legal authority in Pennsylvania. Incumbent Democrat Kathleen Kane is not seeking a second term while she battles numerous legal issues, including a criminal perjury trial set to begin next month in Montgomery County. Kane is accused of lying about her role in leaking grand jury secrets to discredit rivals.
Despite the legal and media hoopla surrounding Kane’s tenure and legal problems, the attorney general’s race has been relatively quiet, especially when compared to the presidential campaign and the U.S. Senate battle between incumbent GOP Sen. Pat Toomey and Democratic challenger Katie McGinty.
The public exposure of the attorney general’s race is sure to grow as Nov. 8 draws nearer. But unless Shapiro and Rafferty have done some heavy fundraising in recent months, they won’t have the money to run too many commercials.
Shapiro had just $7,376 in cash left in his campaign account after raising and spending more than $3 million during the primary, according to the most recent campaign finance report. Factor in $114,241 in debt and Shapiro’s campaign is in the red as of May 16.
Rafferty had $148,405 in cash after raising $399,170 and spending $283,943 during the primary, campaign records show.
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