Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion Director Chris Borick says the Democratic race for Pennsylvania Attorney General in the Tuesday primary election was an upset, with former Lackawanna County Assistant District Attorney Kathleen Kane defeating former Bucks County Congressman Patrick Murphy. He says Murphy was the frontrunner for most of the campaign, but he lost his lead when it counted.

“It was seen as a race that was Murphy’s to lose, and in the end he does lose, and a lot of that, I think, goes directly to the Kane campaign.  They made a focus out of her prosecutorial background and Murphy’s lack thereof, and in Pennsylvania we tend to go with traditional prosecutors in our attorney general position.”

Doctor Borick says Murphy’s campaign focused on trying to turn the office of attorney general into a policy-making position instead of focusing on traditional law enforcement, and he does not believe that resonated well with the voters.  He appeared Wednesday on the WNPV talk program Comment Please by Univest.