YORK, Pa. — York County District Attorney Dave Sunday announced Monday that he will run for Pennsylvania Attorney General.
An experienced prosecutor and U.S. Navy veteran, Sunday said he is committed to increasing public safety, community well-being, and fighting against violence and illegal drugs across Pennsylvania.
Sunday will run as a Republican, he said.
“Every Pennsylvanian desires a safe community to raise their families, attend school, be employed, and enjoy life," Sunday said. "As Pennsylvania’s next Attorney General, I will implement my collaborative approach to public safety initiatives, which are rooted in the principles of accountability and redemption. Through implementing these strategies in York County, we greatly reduced our crime rate, recidivism rates, and prison population. I am confident that together we will achieve these same successes throughout Pennsylvania."
Sunday has served as York County's top prosecutor since 2018. He said his collaborative approach to public safety has resulted in a 30% decrease in crime during his first term; reductions in the prison population by almost 40% since its peak; a reduced supervision caseload; and a recent study conducted by IUP indicates that offenders in York County have the lowest recidivism rate over a 5-year period as compared to seven other counties.
“The Attorney General plays a pivotal role in the well-being of all Pennsylvanians. Our collective prosperity is directly related to the safety and security provided to all individuals, communities, and businesses within our Commonwealth," stated Sunday. "As the elected District Attorney of York County, I committed to achieving these most critical goals of public safety, justice, and community well-being, and I make the same commitment to all Pennsylvanians as your next Attorney General.”
Since the implementation of York’s Early Termination of Probation Program, only 5% of the cases submitted recidivated within two years, resulting in a 95% success rate, and now serves as a statewide model, Sunday said.
Additionally, a focus on law enforcement-based mental health initiatives through the Crisis Intervention Team and Co-Responder Model resulted in less than 3% and 1% respectively of individuals actively undergoing mental health needs being arrested and unnecessarily prosecuted, instead being diverted to treatment-related interventions, according to Sunday.
As District Attorney, Sunday has led an office of prosecutors and detectives who together investigate and prosecute approximately 8,000 – 9,000 criminal cases annually.
During his 15-year career as a prosecutor, Sunday has personally prosecuted thousands of cases, including homicides, drug trafficking, domestic violence, elder abuse and economic fraud.
A courtroom litigator, Sunday obtained many First-Degree Murder Convictions, including a multi-defendant gang murder, a targeted multi-victim shooting, and a domestic violence killing.
The York County District Attorney’s office has led the fight against the heroin/fentanyl epidemic, Sunday stated.
Working with the County Coroner, Sunday co-founded the York County Heroin Task Force, now a thriving non-profit, the York County Opioid Collaborative. During Sunday’s tenure, overdose deaths are down over 26% despite an increase in drug deaths of almost 15% in the Commonwealth during that same time.
As District Attorney, Sunday accomplished this through a targeted approach supporting rehabilitation for addicts in need while aggressively prosecuting drug traffickers with crimes such as murder and drug delivery resulting in death.
Protecting seniors is of the utmost importance to Sunday. He has helped accomplish this through his role on the Elder Abuse Task Force. He has strengthened this priority by appointing an elder abuse special prosecutor and collaborating with strategic partners, including the York County Area Agency on Aging. Sunday personally conducts scam seminars to educate the elderly population to combat becoming victims of fraud.
Sunday was born in Harrisburg and raised in Cumberland County. After high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy, served in Operation Desert Strike and later conducted numerous counter-narcotics operations in the Caribbean.
Sunday then worked at UPS in the evenings while obtaining his undergraduate degree in Finance. He then worked at UPS during the day while attending Widener Law School at night.
In 2013, Sunday was appointed by the United States Department of Justice as a Special Assistant United States Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, where he assisted in prosecuting gang, illegal gun, and drug cases in Federal Court.
During this time, he led the prosecution of Operation Sunrise, a large-scale multi-jurisdictional arrest and prosecution of over 100 members and affiliates of the “Latin Kings,” a violent criminal gang. In his capacity as District Attorney, he currently serves on the Pennsylvania Sentencing Commission.
Sunday resides in York with his wife, Lishani, and their son.
