Who's running in Philadelphia's top primary elections in May
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Campaign pins inside the city's Board of Elections Office. Photo: Mike D'Onofrio/Axios
The races for Philadelphia's district attorney and independent fiscal watchdog are taking shape with roughly two months until the May primary.
The big picture: The Democratic primary is the main attraction in Philly elections.
- The winner is heavily favored to win in November's election due to Democrats' overwhelming share of Philly's registered voters.
State of play: Tuesday was the deadline for Democratic and Republican candidates running in the top two citywide elections to get on the May 20 ballot.
- Also on the primary ballot are races for state and city judges, as well as inspector of election.
⚖️ District attorney
🔵 Two Democrats are running in the primary for the city's top prosecutor:
- Incumbent Larry Krasner — a progressive and criminal justice reformer who's changed cash-bail policies and prioritized diversion programs for certain offenses — is seeking a third consecutive term.
- Patrick Dugan, a veteran and former municipal court judge, has pledged to be tougher on some low-level crimes but maintain some reforms, like diversionary programs for certain offenders.
🔴 Meanwhile, the city's GOP failed to nominate a single candidate for the party's primary.
- The result: Philly Republican voters won't have any party candidate to back in the general election for the first time in decades.
👀 The intrigue: Dugan is shaping up to be Krasner's most formidable challenger since the progressive took over the office in 2018.
- Dugan has secured endorsements from politically powerful and deep-pocketed unions, like the Philadelphia Building & Construction Trades Council.
- Plus: Dugan's campaign entered the year with $140,000, compared with Krasner's $118,000, per the most recent city reports.
🔎 City Controller
🔵 Incumbent Christy Brady is the Democratic Party's only candidate in the primary.
- Brady was first elected in 2023 after more than three decades working in the office — the top auditor for the city bureaucracy and school district.
🔴 The other side: Republican Ari Patrinos is running unchallenged.
- The one-time stockbroker most recently taught history and math at local charter and public schools, per the Philly GOP website.
📉 Between the lines: Turnout typically plummets in Philly primaries, with only the most engaged voters coming out to cast a ballot.
- That could open a path for challengers to cobble together just enough votes to knock off incumbents.
- Plus: It's a closed primary, so only voters registered with a specific party can vote in that party's election.
💰 What we're watching: If any influential groups or donors decide to spend big in the district attorney race.
Worth noting: The deadline for the city's minor political parties — including the Libertarian Party and the Working Families Party — to file paperwork to get on the November ballot is Aug. 1.
📅 What's next: Campaigns have until March 18 to file legal challenges against candidates' paperwork in an effort to bump them off the ballot.
- Ballot positioning will be determined March 20.