Philadelphia Region Local News

HARRISBURG, Pa (AP) ― Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett held off a challenger to return as the state's top law enforcement officer, while Jack Wagner won a second term as auditor general and newcomer Rob McCord was elected state treasurer.

Corbett, a Republican, built his first-term record around an ongoing investigation into alleged corruption in the state General Assembly and vigorous prosecution of Internet sex predators, drug dealers and scam artists who prey on senior citizens.

"It was validation that this is what (voters) wanted us to do, validation that they believe in us," Corbett said. "Republicans and Democrats and Independents voted for that."

Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli kept the race close, but was unable to break through and become the first Democrat in state history to win election as attorney general even though he was helped by a wave of new Democratic voter registrations.

With 98 percent of precincts reporting, Corbett had 52 percent of the vote and Morganelli 46 percent.

Morganelli had accused Corbett of mishandling the corruption probe. The investigation, so far at least, has only targeted Democrats, and Morganelli questioned whether Corbett would pursue Republican legislative allies who had helped fund his 2004 campaign.

McCord, a Democratic venture capitalist from Montgomery County, defeated Republican bond lawyer Tom Ellis to become the next state treasurer.

McCord raised more than $5 million—the most of any row-office candidate—giving him a 15-1 fundraising edge over Ellis. McCord, 49, noted that the country's economic troubles made it a unique time to run for an office that deals with weighty financial issues.

"At the beginning of the presidential race, everybody was obsessed with primary politics and Iraq," McCord said. "By the end of the process, everybody had a ton of questions about their economic future."

He said he will work to return the state's pension funds to health and improve the transparency of an office that handles billions in taxpayer dollars.

Wagner, a Democratic former state senator from Pittsburgh, won

re-election as auditor general by defeating Republican Chet Beiler,

a Lancaster County businessman running for public office for the first time.

"I'm very proud of the number of votes and the confidence the people of Pennsylvania have put in me," Wagner said.

The campaigns for Pennsylvania's three statewide "row offices" were largely overshadowed by the hotly contested presidential campaign.

McCord's ability to advertise heavily on TV gave him a leg up in the treasurer's race. His campaign resources included $1.4 million of his own money and hefty donations from friends in the investment world.

The treasurer's office was open because incumbent Treasurer Robin Wiessmann agreed not to seek a full four-year term when she was appointed in 2007 to fill a vacancy created by Bob Casey's election to the U.S. Senate.

Each of the row offices carries substantial responsibility and an annual salary that is currently about $142,000. The attorney general is the state's chief law-enforcement officer; the treasurer manages billions of taxpayer dollars; and the auditor general is taxpayers' fiscal watchdog in state government.

Corbett, 59, is a former federal prosecutor for western Pennsylvania who is often mentioned as one of the GOP's best potential candidates for governor in the 2010 election. He said he will answer the question of a possible gubernatorial candidacy "somewhere down the road," noting that he still has work to do on the legislative corruption investigation which, he said, will yield more arrests.

Twelve people connected to the House Democratic caucus have been charged amid allegations that millions of dollars in taxpayers' money and other resources were illegally siphoned into political campaigns. Corbett has said both parties are under scrutiny.

Wagner could be a gubernatorial candidate in 2010, too. Asked about it, Wagner said he wants to relax, enjoy his victory and focus on doing a good job as auditor general.

(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)