Pa. Democrats pick Eugene DePasquale as party chair. ‘We have to offer real ideas.’
DePasquale takes the helm as Democrats struggle with voter registration and funding
Eugene DePasquale, a former two-term state auditor general and state representative, has been elected the new chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party.
Speaking to about 300 state committee members Saturday at the Eden Resort hotel in Lancaster, DePasquale said he was committed to helping Democrats retain control of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. He said Democrats need to offer a positive vision to win back voters who have drifted away from the party.
“We’ve got to listen, we’ve got to learn, and we have to offer real ideas to win them back,” DePasquale said.
DePasquale, 54, replaces Sharif Street, who stepped down from the post in late August to run for Congress. Street, a Pennsylvania state senator based in North Philadelphia, is seeking the 3rd Congressional District seat being vacated by retiring U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans, a Democrat.
Street handed the ceremonial gavel over to DePasquale on Saturday. The two share a fondness for Star Wars, Street noted, and he said they “have been friends throughout the entire journey” of their political careers.
DePasquale will serve out the remaining nine months of Street’s term. In June, Democrats can opt to elect him to a full four-year term.
DePasquale, an attorney and a political science instructor at the University of Pittsburgh, made an unsuccessful run for state attorney general in November, losing to Republican Dave Sunday of York.
On Saturday, he took aim at President Donald Trump, calling the latest jobs report a “disaster.” Employers added just 22,000 jobs in August, the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics reported.
“He promised us on day one prices would come down. They are rising,” DePasquale said.
Democrats stymied by fundraising and voter registration losses
DePasquale has also vowed to address two big issues state Democrats are facing: fundraising and voter registration.
The party had just $62,000 in its federal fundraising account as of July, according to Federal Election Commission reports, and $40,000 in its state committee account.
On Friday, Democratic U.S. Sen. John Fetterman said he planned to give $100,000 to the state Democratic Party and voiced support for DePasquale.
“Eugene will play an important role in organizing and supporting our local parties in all 67 counties — and the dude can,” Fetterman said on social media.
Whether Fetterman’s endorsement will be helpful to DePasquale remains unclear. The freshman senator has run afoul of his party on several key issues of late, and has complained about the demands of the job.
Northeast Caucus chair Colleen Gerrity of Scranton said Saturday the 2024 election left some Democratic donors feeling unmotivated.
“They’ve been waiting and watching, with everything that’s going on in Washington.”
But that is starting to change, Gerrity said.
“There’s not a lot of good stuff happening in Washington,” she said. “Now it’s time to take PA 08 back.” In November, Republican Rob Bresnahan ousted Gerrity’s old boss, U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright, in Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District.
The voter registration issue goes back further. Democrats have seen a steady decline in voter registration since 2009, while Republicans and independents have seen increases, according to state records.
“I think Democrats are fatigued,” Malcolm Yates, chair of the Delaware County Black Caucus, said Saturday. “Being able to galvanize them is absolutely necessary.”
Yates said that with Trump sending National Guard soldiers and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents into cities, and with Texas aggressively gerrymandering in an effort to ensure Republican control of its U.S. House seats, people are “under attack.”
Yates emphasized he has been a big supporter of Street. And now that Street is focused on winning his congressional race, Yates said, he’s backing DePasquale.
“The times that we’re in, we need someone who is singularly focused,” Yates said.
Margaret Kelso, who chairs the Mercer County Young Democrats, said she often meets young progressives, Democratic socialists, and leftists who align with some Democratic positions but don’t feel a connection to the party.
“Young people feel the Democratic Party is not representative of them, and they don’t want to be part of it,” said Kelso.
Philadelphia City Councilmember Jim Harrity said the party is working to increase voter registration. In Philadelphia, Democrats are phone banking ahead of the judicial retention races, he said.
“I’m glad we’re seeing some unity now, because we have a real enemy now in Washington,” Harrity said.