Democratic Attorney General Josh Shapiro Wins Re-Election

Shapiro had garnered 3.3 million votes to his challenger’s 3 million as of 2:45 p.m.

Attorney General Josh Shapiro has won re-election.

As of 2:45 p.m. Friday, Shapiro, a Democrat, had 3.3 million votes to Republican challenger Heather Heidelbaugh’s 3 million votes. Even if all 112,000 remaining mail-in ballots and 92,000 provisional ballots were to go to Heidelbaugh, it would not be enough for Heidelbaugh to make up the deficit.

“Pennsylvania, it is the honor of my life to serve as your Attorney General,” Shapiro said on Twitter after the race was called. “I’m grateful and ready to keep taking on the big fights as the people’s AG.”

Since Shapiro has been in office, he has made news battling President Donald Trump, investigating clergy sexual abuse cases across the state, and defending the electoral process in Pennsylvania.

He was one of several Attorneys General who filed lawsuits against Trump’s original travel ban. When Trump followed up with a revised travel ban, Shapiro wasn’t part of the lawsuits that attempted to stop it.

Shapiro ran for re-election saying he would continue to fight for gun-safety issues, health care, reproductive rights, and civil rights issues.

Shapiro was endorsed by the National Organization for Women, the Human Rights Campaign and The Philadelphia Inquirer, among other organizations.

Shapiro earned his first term in 2016 by garnering 3 million votes to Republican John Rafferty’s 2.8 million votes.

Shapiro’s first campaign was based on bringing dignity back to the office, after former Attorney General Kathleen Kane had to resign after her conviction for perjury. He garnered the support of then-President Barack Obama, then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and then-New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Before he became the state Attorney General, Shapiro served four terms in the state House of Representatives for the 153rd District and two terms as Montgomery County Commissioner Chairman. When Shapiro was elected to be a Montgomery County Commissioner along with then-Commissioner Leslie Richards in 2011, it was the first time in county history that Democrats took control of the board.

During her campaign, Heidelbaugh promoted her track record as a trial lawyer and knocked Shapiro as a typical politician.

She was endorsed by several 2nd Amendment groups and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, among other organizations.