Republican Joe Peters Says His Experience Beats The Others In Pa. Attorney General Race
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Kathleen Kane was the first Democrat ever elected Attorney General in Pennsylvania.
But her controversial tenure has Republicans hoping to take back the office.
Two Republicans are on the primary ballot.
Former deputy attorney general Joe Peters is one of two Republicans running for state Attorney General.
"I am ready to serve on day one," Peters told KDKA political editor Jon Delano.
"There is no on-the-job training needed with Joe Peters. I've been a street cop, so I know the issue, particularly at a time of heroin and opiate addiction deaths," he said. "I have been the chief drug prosecutor under every attorney general in the Commonwealth's history since the attorney general was elected in 1992."
A Scranton native who worked on drug trafficking and terrorism issues at the White House, Peters says his resume makes him stand out among the five candidates for this office.
"You can't be a heart surgeon without being a doctor first. You need an experienced prosecutor, and in addition, I'm a cop and a police chief first," Peters said. "So that resonates, and all my police and law enforcement friends want to see somebody who knows the job and to guide and protect them in a day when people are ambushing and assassinating our police officers."
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Peters' Republican primary opponent is Pennsylvania Sen. John Rafferty who's been endorsed by the state Republican Party.
"It's the same old establishment mentality," says Peters.
Calling himself fearless, independent, and untouchable, Peters claims that he's "not owned by the union bosses as my opponent is. Big contributions from big unions in Philadelphia. I owe nobody. Nobody owns me. I'm tough, I'm independent, and I'll do the right thing for the right reasons."
Peters says, having tried criminal cases in court, he's the one Republican who can beat the Democrats this fall.
"The mafia case, convicting mob boss 'Little Nicky' Scarvo and 16 of his underbosses, capos, and soldiers. It was a three-month trial. There were five of us prosecutors, 17 defense lawyers. The jury was locked up for their own safety, away from their families for three months. The mob wanted to kill me. Yes, I have the experience," he said.
The Republican primary is April 26.
