State auditor general ponders higher office
Post-Gazette Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON — It has been just 2½ weeks since Eugene DePasquale was elected to a second — and last — term as Pennsylvania’s auditor general, but he’s already thinking about what’s next.
He’s weighing two options for his next act — governor or U.S. senator, whichever he ultimately determines will allow him to have the greatest impact on the issues he cares about, including education, transportation, trade, worker rights, school safety and clean water.
Mr. DePasquale said he’s happy with the work he has done in his current role, including audits that led to improved nursing homes, better use of school resources, and a reduction in the backlog of untested rape kits. But, he said, he is termlimited and, therefore, looking for a new way to affect public policy.
While he’s looking ahead, he promises to stay rooted in his current job, which he is committed to until his term ends, he said during an interview in Washington, where he is attending a forum for progressive political darlings put on by the New DEAL, or Developing Exceptional American Leaders.
From there, he will head to Pennsylvania Society, an annual event in New York where state political influencers gather for a weekend of glad-handing, fundraising and networking where would-be candidates often test the political waters. Mr. DePasquale was invited to speak at an event sponsored by a D.C. political consulting firm.
Even from his row office, he has been wading into policy areas more under the purview of governors and legislators than auditors general.
This week, for example, he introduced a gun safety report that included 12 recommendations concerning everything from mental health care to background checks. He said his recommendations fall within his authority because they wouldn’t create new laws.
“This is a hard issue. I get it. Nobody needs to lecture me on how hard it is to get something done on guns,” he said. “But to me, do we want to be ready to go in the coffin one day and say we didn’t try? … You can’t say, ‘It’s too tough so I’m not going to try.’”
He said it isn’t satisfying enough to restrict his role to “doing stuff that everyone is going to like, like finding waste.” Rather he wants to “move the ball forward to make Pennsylvania a safer place,” and he said he’ll do his part within the limits of his authority as auditor general even as he looks toward a more influential position in Harrisburg or Washington.
Mr. DePasquale grew up in Pittsburgh and now lives in York, where he served as director of economic development. Later he became a deputy secretary in the state Department of Environmental Protection. He served for six years as a state representative and has been auditor general since January 2013.