Philly primary election: Democrats vie for district attorney
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Larry Krasner, left, and Pat Dugan. Photos courtesy of their campaigns
The Democratic primary for Philadelphia district attorney is Tuesday, pitting incumbent Larry Krasner against well-funded challenger Pat Dugan.
Why it matters: Philly's district attorney's office is one of the largest in the nation, overseeing roughly 40,000 criminal cases annually, and this week's winner will be the odds-on favorite in the November general election.
The big picture: The race has national implications as progressive prosecutors have been targeted and toppled in recent years by voters over public safety and crime concerns.
- Context: Krasner is among the OGs of progressive prosecutors in the U.S. He's reshaped the office and put in place sweeping criminal justice reforms over the last eight years.
🥊 The contenders:
Krasner, 64, is seeking a third term in office to continue his progressive criminal justice reforms — think, reducing mass incarceration – and fight against President Donald Trump's policies that affect the city.
- His Conviction Integrity Unit has overturned the convictions of more than 40 people.
- Krasner has also fiercely prosecuted police officers accused of misconduct.
Dugan, 64, is a veteran and former municipal court judge who has pledged to be tougher on some low-level crimes and hold violent offenders accountable.
- He wants to maintain some criminal justice reforms, like diversionary programs for certain offenders.
- Dugan also has secured endorsements from some of the city's political heavyweights, like the Philadelphia Building & Construction Trades Council.
Zoom out: Tuesday's primary ballot will also feature several other races, including those for state and city judges, and three ballot questions.
Between the lines: Krasner is facing his toughest and most well-funded challenger since taking office.
- Entering the final weeks of the campaign last month, Dugan's campaign had $427,600 on hand, compared to Krasner's $165,000, per the latest campaign filing reports.
The intrigue: Dugan could get a second chance to take down Krasner this year.
- Philadelphia Republicans are running a write-in campaign in Tuesday's primary to nominate Dugan to their ticket in November.
- Dugan is not coordinating with the GOP on the campaign, and he's "committed to not running as [a] Republican," his spokesperson tells us.
Context: Republicans didn't field any candidate for Tuesday's ballot.
- The result: The GOP won't have a DA candidate on the November ballot for the first time in decades — unless a write-in campaign succeeds.
Worth noting: Pennsylvania has closed primaries, which means voters registered with a specific party can only vote in that party's election.
Go deeper: Meet Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner