Credit: County of Bucks
Joe Khan, the former Bucks County solicitor and former prosecutor, is setting his sights on the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office.
As the Democratic candidate running unopposed in the May 20 primary, Khan outlined his vision in an interview with NewtownPANow.com. Kahn is expected to face Republican District Attorney Jennifer Schorn in the November general election.
Khan said, if elected, he would bring a proactive approach to safeguarding residents from crime, corruption, and threats to their rights.
“We really don’t have an office that’s equipped for the challenges of the 21st Century,” Khan stated.
If elected, Khan, a Central Bucks County resident and father, plans to broaden the office’s focus beyond traditional criminal prosecution to include more consumer protection, worker rights, and environmental enforcement cases.
Khan’s 16-year background as a prosecutor and his tenure as Bucks County solicitor, where he played a key role in initiatives like the lawsuit against TikTok over youth mental health and environmental protection efforts, form the foundation of his campaign.
“I’m someone who can say, ‘I want to continue the work that I’ve been doing, since I got out of law school, keeping people safe,’” he said.
Khan was involved in rape, child abuse, domestic violence, and political corruption during his time as a prosecutor at the city and federal level. He also worked as a civil litigator against opioid distributors.
Khan believes the district attorney’s office should adopt a more active role in protecting Bucks County residents, rather than relying on state and federal agencies for non-criminal actions.
“I don’t think anyone’s coming to save us,” Khan said. “We are the ones that we’ve been waiting for, and I think we can use the power of this office to take on those fights.”
Khan noted the district attorney’s office does good and important work, but it “needs better leadership” on some issues. He added that he doesn’t care about the political party of the staff and wants to work with prosecutors who are motivated and “excited to show up for work every day and take a more collaborative approach.”
Khan pointed to his ability to work with officials of all parties, citing his collaboration with now-former Republican District Attorney Matt Weintraub on the TikTok lawsuit as an example.
Addressing concerns about Democrats being perceived as weak on crime, Khan highlighted his prosecutorial record for the federal government and at the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office. He noted he ran against progressive Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner when he lived in the city.
“Nobody asked me if I was a Democrat or Republican when they were figuring out whether I was going to keep them and their community safe,” Khan said of his career.
Khan’s background, with a Muslim father and Catholic mother, has shaped his ability to build bridges between cultures, he said.
“I really had this growth, as a young person, having to start every conversation that I ever entered, figuring out how I was going to build a bridge to some other culture,” he explained.
During his time as county solicitor, Khan was a visible figure and advised the commissioners on the $45 million opioid settlement, the fight against PFAS contamination, and the lawsuit against social media companies. However, he also faced criticism from parent activists Megan Brock and Jamie Walker Cohen regarding the county’s COVID-19 mitigation policies and Right To Know requests. Former Republican Commissioner Andy Warren has criticized Khan for being partisan.
Khan defended the county’s COVID-19 response and stated that all decisions were made on a bipartisan basis with public safety as the primary goal.
Khan stood up the first full-time law department for the county government and oversaw its staff. He became the county government’s top lawyer starting in early 2020 after the new Democratic-majority on the Bucks County Commissioners took office. He resigned in April 2023 amid word he was considering running for state attorney general, a race he lost.
“The through line is that the district attorney needs to do whatever is necessary and appropriate to keep people safe,” he said.
The Philadelphia-native ran for city district attorney 2017, but he lost in the Democratic primary to Krasner. Khan came in second place.
Khan serves as a partner at Curtin and Heefner and he co-chairs the firm’s appellate section that deals with voting and environmental rights.
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