What history tells us about Pa. row offices, and why they're more important than you might think

Next month, Pennsylvanians are to vote for attorney general, treasurer and auditor general nominees. History suggests that these candidates may well be auditioning for something more.

Though statewide row offices don't generate the buzz of a presidential or gubernatorial race, time and again they've served as proving grounds for those with eyes on the halls of Congress and other more prestigious political roles.

"They're critically important," said G. Terry Madonna, senior fellow in residence for political affairs at Millersville University. "What they do, obviously, is they give the officeholder a statewide presence.

"They travel all over the state, they represent the state in their particular position."

Recent history includes a handful of prominent examples, as two of Pennsylvania's last three governors first held a state row office.

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey Jr. (D-Pa.) taught fifth-grade students before earning his law degree and running for statewide office in 1997. He worked as auditor general for eight years and as treasurer for two before first winning his Senate seat in 2006.

Former Republican Gov. Tom Corbett is another example.

In 1995, Corbett was appointed by then-Gov. Tom Ridge to replace Attorney General Ernie Preate, who left office before serving a prison stint for mail fraud. Corbett later won two full terms as attorney general, and that name recognition helped him to become governor in 2011.

Pennsylvania's current governor followed a similar track.

Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro was a state legislator and county commissioner before his tenure as attorney general. In 2022 he made the leap to the governor's mansion, and has since been dubbed by the Washington Post and other national outlets as a strong future candidate for the White House.

"It allows them build a statewide network of supporters," Madonna said of the state row officers. "They build connections with voters, with activists and with other party officials across the state."

Not that holding a row office is a guarantee of future success.

A recent example is former Auditor General Eugene DePasquale. He fell short in his 2020 congressional challenge to U.S. Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) and is currently a candidate for attorney general in a crowded Democratic primary field.

"They are literally the futures of the political parties," Alison Dagnes, professor and chair of the political science department at Shippensburg University, said of the state row officers.

"The political parties want to establish a bench. So they have their heavy hitters who are playing the game, but they also need to bring other players up through the ranks, up through the minor leagues."

From Dagnes's standpoint, climbing the various layers of government gives candidates credibility.

"I want someone who is running for office to have experience," she said. "I'm happy that Josh Shapiro started off as a county commissioner first.

"Now he's a governor, but he understands what the counties are going through, and I think that's a net positive."

Count Dagnes also among those who believe politicians are unfairly stereotyped as corrupt and self-serving. She said many bright and capable people avoid the profession for this reason.

"We need to herald and cherish these folks," she said, "because these days running for office is especially hard — it's too expensive, and very mean and nasty."

Bruce Siwy is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network's Pennsylvania state capital bureau. He can be reached at bsiwy@gannett.com or on X and Instagram at @BruceSiwy.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: PA attorney general, auditor general, treasurer primary elections 2024