Sen. Sharif Street is stepping down as Pa. Democratic chair with plans to endorse Eugene DePasquale for the job

Pennsylvania Democratic Party chair Sharif Street announced Monday that he will step down from his position as head of the state party to focus on his run for U.S. Congress.

Street, a state senator from North Philadelphia who has led the party since 2022, is expected to endorse former Pennsylvania Auditor General Eugene DePasquale to succeed him in the role, according to several sources.

“I took on this role to build a Democratic Party that was more inclusive, more united, and more powerful,” Street said in a message Monday to members of the state Democratic committee announcing his departure.

“Together, we’ve done exactly that — delivering historic victories, strengthening our grassroots, and expanding our coalition ... Now it’s time to make space for the next chapter of leadership so we can keep building on that progress.”

His official announcement made no mention of a replacement but Street is expected to endorse DePasquale at a Democratic event in Philadelphia this weekend. The special election will take place at the Pennsylvania Democrats’ fall meeting on Sept. 6 in Lancaster.

The decision comes about a month after Gov. Josh Shapiro and DNC chairman Ken Martin cast doubt on whether Street could effectively campaign to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans (D., Philadelphia) while also running the party.

The coming months will be critical for Pennsylvania Democrats as they aim to win statewide judicial elections in November and regain the House in the midterms next year. The party is also in danger of losing its voter registration advantage in Pennsylvania as Republicans consistently gain ground.

Shapiro said he was “thankful” for Street’s “continued public service and leadership,” in a release announcing his decision to step down.

DePasquale, who lost a 2024 statewide bid for attorney general and previously served in the Pennsylvania Capitol, said he’d have more to say about the leadership change later.

“I know Sen. Street will soon be having an announcement and I want to pay him the respect of letting that take place,” he said. “I’m happy to weigh in after that happens.”

Philadelphia Committee chair Bob Brady confirmed that he and Street are behind DePasquale, who he described as Shapiro’s pick for the job.

“Eugene’s a dear friend, a great Democrat, well liked and he has the time now to do the job.”

Brady said he didn’t expect a heated election as occurred three years ago when Shapiro wanted a Montgomery County ally for the job and Brady backed Street for it.

“I’m glad the governor’s on board, it’s his pick,” Brady said. “It’s a great pick.”

The intraparty fighting last time had lingered, it appears.

“We had our differences and now I think, I’m hoping, I’m done with my latrine duty,” Brady said. “I wanna be back in good graces.”

DePasquale, 54, is a Pittsburgh-based attorney and adjunct professor at the University of Pittsburgh. He’s made numerous runs for office, first winning election as a state representative in 2006.

He served two terms as auditor general, following three terms in the Pennsylvania House. In addition to his failed bid for attorney general, DePasquale fell short in 2020 at unseating U.S. Rep. Scott Perry (R., York) in the central Pennsylvania district, where DePasquale previously lived.

Should he get elected as state chair, it would mark a shift to leadership from the western side of the state after several years of a Philadelphian at the helm.

Nothing is official until the party’s committee members vote and at least one of them was pumping the brakes on viewing the arrangement as a foregone conclusion.

Dottie Miller, chair of the Southeast caucus, emailed caucus members urging them to let the process play out.

“Speculation that Eugene will assume the party chair seat is unfair to all of us as we are the ones who must vote him in to lead our state party,” she wrote in the email obtained by The Inquirer.

Street, 51, started as vice chair in 2018. He is the first Black person to serve as its chair.

Brady called him “the most accessible State Party Chair we’ve ever had.”

“He listened, he respected the work, and he united our party when it mattered,” Brady said in a statement.

Democrats in Pennsylvania picked up big wins when his chairmanship started in 2022, including electing Shapiro governor, only to lose the presidential race in the state and a key Senate seat in 2024.

Democratic turnout last year continued to drop in Philadelphia, including in the 3rd Congressional District, where Street is running, as Trump significantly improved his margins there. The Pennsylvania state House was a rare bright spot for Democrats, though, as they were able to hang onto a narrow majority.

The state party has suffered from financial problems in the past and continues to pull in low fundraising hauls. The party reported in late July having about $62,000 cash-on-hand in its federal fundraising account, a sum that was significantly less than other swing state parties, according to FEC reports. The Pennsylvania party reported having another $40,000 in its state committee account.

Street, whose father John F. Street served two terms as mayor, is one of several Philadelphia Democrats vying to replace Evans, who announced his retirement earlier this summer.

Evans has represented the 3rd Congressional District, among the most Democratic by registration in the nation, since 2016.

Staff writer Sean Collins Walsh contributed to this article.