Search
Close this search box.

BREAKING: Turzai, Reed Endorse Stephens for AG

Todd-StephensState Representative Todd Stephens is getting some welcome help from his legislative leaders.

Today, the Stephens campaign announced that State House Speaker Mike Turzai and House Majority Leader Dave Reed are endorsing their candidate.

“Todd Stephens has been responsible for making our neighborhoods safer, and that’s the kind of experience we need in our Republican nominee,” Turzai and Reed wrote in a letter to Pennsylvania Republican State Committee. “In the House, Todd is the go to legislator when it comes to criminal justice issues.”

“In the race for Attorney General, it is absolutely essential that Republicans nominate a candidate who has experience in courtrooms and Todd has that,” they continued. “Experience has never been more important than it is right now, given the state of the Attorney General’s office.”

“We know that Todd has the integrity and experience to clean up the Attorney General’s office and refocus the office on its primary goal – protecting Pennsylvania families,” Turzai and Reed concluded.

Stephens, who worked as an Assistant District Attorney and U.S. Federal Prosecutor before becoming a State Representative in 2010, announced his candidacy last month.

GOP State Sen. John Rafferty announced his campaign last June. Democratic prosecutor Jack Stollsteimer is also running. Northampton County DA John Morganelli and Montgomery County Commissioner Josh Shapiro are expected to jump into the race as well. All the while, Attorney General Kathleen Kane insists she will run for re-election.

15 Responses

  1. Wally, how is an AG supposed to know what subordinates are doing if he or she never had enough courtroom experience to know how it’s done right? How would the AG set policy on criminal enforcement (including a budget for it) without understanding practically how it’s done? And to answer your question, AG Jerry Pappert went into Dauphin County court on a matter involving the Hershey Trust, and AGs Fisher, Pappert, and Corbett argued cases in the appellate courts (including the US Supreme Court). “Smarten up” indeed.

    Aaron, the Dems have already found a replacement for Kane. They don’t want Kane in the headlines in the next election cycle, so Wolf is working with Dems and Republicans in the Senate to replace her. Look for a former US Attorney to take the helm in the near future.

  2. Wally – what’s your point. Whether they are acting as a prosecutor or administrator – I’d prefer they don’t involve themselves with child porn while doing the job. It’s that simple. Kane needs to step aside.

  3. Can anyone tell me the last time a sitting AG actually prosecuted a case? I’ll give you the answer… Not in at least the last 35 years. The job of the AG is administrative, smarten up you fools!

  4. Bob Guzzardi is a RINO and less than politically astute. Stephens has less experience than Kane? This guy has no idea what he’s talking about.

    I wonder how Guzzardi’s pal Joe Gale feels about him supporting Shapiro?

  5. I can’t believe that people on this site are actually talking about disclosures/integrity/etc. as it relates to this guy. I know nothing about Stephens – but seriously – the current AG is Kathleen Kane. If the AG race becomes a character debate, I’m pretty confident I know how that will turn out.

  6. So far Rafferty is looking the best to me. Tons of qualifications, legal and legislative experience, former deputy AG. Great personality.

  7. Steve, you said it. Bob Guzzardi (whose opinions on what makes a good candidate are inherently laughable) is not making sense about experience. Todd has vastly more experience than Shapiro, and has legislated more on the issue of criminal law than Shapiro. All around, Todd has way more experience than any other candidate.

  8. Bob, how can you call Todd Stevens a lightweight but consider Josh Shapiro electable when he’s never prosecuted a case in his life! He’s been a career politician (granted, I will concede he’s been a good elected official) but have we not learned from Kane that some real courtroom experience matters. Todd was an ADA in one of the largest counties in the state. Josh has never been in a courtroom.

  9. My view is that if you think Kathleen Kane was the worst attorney general, wait and see if Todd Stephens is elected. Lightweight does not begin to describe his experience.

    My opinion is that Josh Shapiro, or long shot John Morganelli,who is a real prosecutor with real experience running a prosecutor’s office, will run and win.The Republican state committee is less than competent. See the judicial races where it appears Democrats ( and unions Anne Covey is a union Republican) and will retain majority of the Supreme Court.

  10. I can’t believe the GOP would even consider Rafferty. Not sure he has ever been in a courtroom as a prosecutor, and if he was it was probably less than Kathleen Kane had been when she was elected. If the GOP picks Rafferty, they open themselves up to the very attacks that they made/continue to make against Kane for lack of experience. Stephens is the only one (so far) who has really done what an AG does — and done it recently and apparently well. I think a lot of the Senators supporting Rafferty are probably doing so more to get rid of him then because they believe he’s the best choice.

  11. It’s a two-fer for TurdsEye: Gets rid of a possible challenger to his House leadership position, AND a buddy who will quash the inevitable corruption investigation. It’s only a matter of time before Turds joins Fumo, Perzel, et al. in the Graybar Hotel.

  12. I am totally taken back from turzai’s comment about integrity,,what would he know about integrity,,a person in his position should be doing what’s best for all of the residents of PA not a select few who have corporate greed at the top of their list,,maybe its time for the people in his district to be given the true facts

Email:
  • Do you agree that ByteDance should be forced to divest TikTok?


    • Yes. It's a national security risk. (60%)
    • No. It's an app used by millions and poses no threat. (40%)
    • What's ByteDance? (0%)

    Total Voters: 30

    Loading ... Loading ...
Continue to Browser

PoliticsPA

To install tap and choose
Add to Home Screen