By Keegan Gibson, Managing Editor

State Representative Eugene DePasquale (D-York) today announced that he is exploring a candidacy for Auditor General in 2012, an office that matches his record and reputation for scrupulous spending in the State House.

DePasquale was elected to represent the city of York in 2006, and quickly gained a reputation as an affable reformer. He was the first legislator to make records of his expenditures publicly available via the internet, refuses per diems and routinely returns tens of thousands of dollars in office expenses.

“As a public servant, I have always been guided by the belief that an effective government is one that is accessible and efficient, which has led me to explore seeking the position of Auditor General, the commonwealth’s fiscal watchdog,” said DePasquale.  “The state’s continuing budget deficits underscore how critical it is to protect taxpayer dollars and lessen the painful budget cuts that need to be made.”

“If elected Auditor General, I will hold Governor Corbett accountable for how he spends
taxpayer dollars by bringing greater disclosure of spending and by identifying ways that the state government can save money,” said DePasquale.

Go to any Democratic party dinner or picnic in south central PA counties like York, Adams and Cumberland, and it’s clear that DePasquale, one of few elected Democrats in the region, is a favorite son. He’s also got western PA roots. He’s the grandson of Eugene “Jeep” DePasquale, former president of Pittsburgh City Council.

In a conversation with PoliticsPA, DePasquale noted that south Central Dems have never had a strong local candidate for statewide office, despite the fact that they number over 500,000.

A former employee of the Department of Environmental Protection, DePasquale also enjoys strong support among Marcellus shale activists, an emerging Democratic voting bloc.

DePasquale is no slouch when it comes to fundraising, either. He was House Democratic Campaign Committee Treasurer in 2010 and contributed $35,000 during the cycle, and has about $56,000 on hand as of the most recent campaign finance report.

It’s clear from talking to DePasquale that he knows his toughest opponents will come in the primary.

DePasquale is the first candidate to make any sort of official announcement in the AG race, but rumor has it that others are not far behind. Sources close to Allegheny County Controller Dan Onorato confirm that the former gubernatorial candidate is likely to run. Former Congressman and Senate candidate Joe Sestak has also been talked about for the office.

Incumbent AG Jack Wagner is term limited.

Nicole Houck contributed to this report.