York Town Square

Eugene DePasquale was York County Democratic Party Chairman when he strolled down King Street with York Mayoral candidate John Brenner in 2002. Brenner went on to win the mayor’s seat, and DePasquale later became state representative. Tonight, DePasquale won the uncontested Democratic nomination for state Auditor General. (See additional photo below.) Also of interest: Lucid mind of George Leader aids the public memory.

State Rep. Eugene DePasquale’s nomination for state Auditor General places him on a short list of York County residents who have gone that high in state politics.

That’s whether he wins in the fall election or not.

It’s a bit surprising that York County, with its proximity to the state capital, would not have delivered more high-ranking elected or appointed statewide positions, particularly in the past 150 years:

Here’s a sampling, gleaned from this blog and York Daily Record/Sunday New results:
– Chauncey Forward Black who served as the state’s lieutenant governor in the late 1800s.
– Samuel S. Lewis who served as the state’s lieutenant governor in the late 1930s and early 1940s.
– Former Gov. George M. Leader who served in the 1950s.
– Robert P. Kane, who served as state attorney general in the 1970s.
– Albert R. Hydeman Jr., who served as secretary of the state Department of Community Affairs.
– Tom Wolf, the state revenue secretary under former Gov. Ed Rendell.
– Steve Stetler also served as revenue secretary in the Rendell administration.

For more officeholders, see: List of high state officials hailing from York County growing.

Now a state rep, Eugene DePasquale sits with Gov. Ed Rendell as Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Kathleen McGinty addresses an audience at the Codo project on North George Street in York in 2008.

Also of interest:

Add Robert P. Kane to list of prominent York County politicos and Former George M. Leader is only York countian to serve as Pennsylvania governor.