Pa. Dems select former Auditor General Eugene DePasquale as party chair

Pennsylvania Democrats have elected a new leader after a staggering set of losses in the 2024 elections.

Eugene DePasquale, the state’s former auditor general, ran in a special election to replace state Sen. Sharif Street, who represents part of Philadelphia County. Street held the position for five years but resigned because he’s running for U.S. Congress.

“I’m honored by the support of my fellow Pennsylvania Democrats — and I’m ready to get to work,” DePasquale said in a statement. “It’s clear that as a party, we have a lot of work and opportunity ahead of us — from building up our infrastructure, to ramping up our voter registration, to winning back the trust and the support of so many voters and communities that have been left behind.”

A party chair is the head officer of a political party, similar to a CEO. In his role, Pittsburgh native DePasquale will oversee strategy, fundraising and overall party operations.

He will serve for at least nine months, the remainder of Street’s term. In June, he can run again for a regular four-year term.

DePasquale, 54, lost the race for state attorney general in 2024, a year in which Pa. Democrats lost three seats in Congress and the presidential race.

During DePasquale’s run for chair, both Street and Gov. Josh Shapiro backed his campaign.

“Eugene is a longtime public servant who has a proven track record of showing up and fighting for our communities — and I know that is the experience and the fight we needed in our next Chairman,” Shapiro said.