Philly GOP is bankrolling a write-in campaign for Larry Krasner's opponent
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Pat Dugan could get a second crack at defeating District Attorney Larry Krasner in the fall. Photo: Courtesy of the Dugan campaign
Philadelphia Republicans have a new election strategy to defeat Larry Krasner: Run his Democratic opponent on their ticket in November.
Why it matters: Democratic district attorney candidate Pat Dugan could get two shots at knocking Krasner out of office this year.
Driving the news: Republicans are bankrolling a write-in campaign in Tuesday's primary to nominate Dugan for their party's ticket in November.
- Philly's Republican City Committee is funding a website for the effort and is expected to have a strong presence on the street during Tuesday's primary.
Context: Pennsylvania has closed primaries, which means voters registered with a specific party can only vote in that party's election.
- Plus: Republicans failed to field a district attorney primary candidate, so they're facing the prospect of no candidate in November.
What they're saying: Vincent Fenerty, who leads Philly's Republicans, tells Axios the purpose of backing Dugan is to "rid the city of Philadelphia of Larry Krasner."
Reality check: Dugan is "committed to not running as [a] Republican" and is not collaborating with the city's GOP, a Dugan campaign spokesperson tells Axios.
- "Judge Dugan has every intention of running in the general election, as the Democratic nominee," he said.
Between the lines: The write-in strategy targets a loophole in Pennsylvania's "sore loser" law, which prevents failed primary candidates from running again in the general election for another party.
- Dugan would need 1,000 Republican primary votes on Tuesday to secure the GOP's line in November.
Yes, but: Voter turnout in Philly primaries is typically low.
By the numbers: There are more than 130,000 registered Philly Republicans.
- Although Philly Republicans have seen their numbers rise in recent years, Democratic voters dominate by a roughly 6-to-1 margin.
Zoom out: The strategy has proved successful elsewhere in Pennsylvania.
- In Allegheny County in 2023, Stephen A. Zappala Jr. lost his Democratic primary for district attorney but prevailed in the Republican. He went on to win the general election on the GOP line.
- A Democratic mayoral candidate in Allentown is also employing the write-in scheme.
Friction point: Many Pennsylvania Republicans have loathed Krasner and his progressive criminal justice reforms since he first took office in 2018.
- State Republicans unsuccessfully attempted to impeach Krasner.
The fine print: The spelling of Dugan's name could prove pivotal.
- If the write-in campaign is close, just how voters spell his name could face court challenges over whether they are counted toward Dugan.