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Epoch Times
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Philadelphia's Progressive District Attorney Larry Krasner Projected to Win Re-election
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner fended off competition from progressive challenger Pat Dugan on May 20 to win the Democratic primary election, meaning he will continue serving as the city's top prosecutor for a third term, according to unofficial Krasner, a former civil rights lawyer, was leading Dugan, an Army veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and the former head administrative judge of the Philadelphia Municipal Court, with 63 percent of the vote as of late Tuesday, results showed.
Associated Press
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Larry Krasner wins Philadelphia's Democratic primary for a third term as district attorney
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Progressive stalwart Larry Krasner has won Philadelphia's Democratic primary election Tuesday to continue serving as district attorney for another four years in the heavily Democratic city after withstanding an impeachment attempt and years of criticism by President Donald Trump and other Republicans. Krasner's victory all but guarantees him a third term in office as the city's top prosecutor, with no Republicans filing to run in November's general election. The longtime civil rights lawyer defeated Pat Dugan, a U.S. Army veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and was the head administrative judge of the Philadelphia Municipal Court before he resigned to run. Krasner originally ran in 2017 on a progressive platform that included opposition to the death penalty, cash bail, prosecuting minor nonviolent offenses and a culture of mass incarceration, as well as holding police accountable. Krasner survived a failed impeachment attempt by Republican state lawmakers and years of Trump and other Republicans using him as a campaign trail punching bag amid rising crime in Philadelphia and other U.S. cities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The past couple years has seen crime rates falling in Philadelphia — and elsewhere — while the city's jail population is down by almost half in the past decade. Like some big-city Democrats, Krasner has turned toward pro-public safety messaging, saying he is serious about pursuing violent crime and touting new technologies and strategies that his office is using to solve or prevent crime. He also tried to show that he is combating quality-of-life crimes, recently announcing a new unit to prosecute illegal dumping, such as household trash, tires, construction materials and more. He repeatedly invoked Trump during the campaign and suggested that he is the best candidate to stand up to the president. Krasner made his campaign slogan 'F—- around and find out,' and invoked it in a TV ad where he cast himself as the foil to 'Trump and his billionaire buddies, the shooting groups and gun lobby, the old system that denied people justice for too long. They can come for Philly, but I'm not backing down.' Labor unions were split between Krasner and Dugan during the primary. But Krasner held his base of support among progressives, reformers and influential members of the city's Black political establishment. While some of Krasner's fellow progressive prosecutors around the country were forced out of office, Krasner has maintained that the progressive movement remains ascendant and influential, despite setbacks.
CBS News
21-05-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner wins Democratic primary, setting him up for 3rd term as top prosecutor
Philadelphia incumbent District Attorney Larry Krasner won the Democratic primary Tuesday, the Associated Press projects. Without any Republicans in the running, Krasner is likely to win a third term as the city's top prosecutor in the general election in November. Krasner was first elected in 2017 and has campaigned on making the city "safer and freer." Krasner defeated former Philadelphia judge Pat Dugan in the primary. In Pennsylvania, the term for a district attorney is four years. Who is Larry Krasner? Krasner started his law career as a public defender in Philadelphia in the late 1980s, according to his campaign website. He started his own law practice in 1993. During his tenure as DA, Krasner has focused on supporting victims, exonerating innocent people, reducing incarceration and holding police accountable, his site says. Krasner won overwhelmingly in 2021 with 71.8% of the vote in the general election over Republican Chuck Peruto. Krasner beat Carlos Vega with 66.8% of the vote in the Democratic primary that year. During his second term, Republican lawmakers from Pennsylvania's House of Representatives tried to impeach Krasner over his policies, but the state Supreme Court ruled that the articles of impeachment had expired. Critics of Krasner, who's known as a progressive prosecutor, say he should be tougher on crime. Philadelphia police data shows that 2025 has so far seen fewer homicides and less violent crime overall compared to this time last year, and the total number of homicides per year has dropped every year since 2021. What does a DA do? The district attorney prosecutes crimes committed in a county and works with law enforcement to ensure laws are upheld and citizens are protected. The DA has authority over criminal investigations and prosecutions, including hearings, trials, guilty pleas and appeals.
CBS News
21-05-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
2025 Pennsylvania primary election results for Philadelphia DA, controller and more
Voters in the Philadelphia area cast their ballots in the 2025 Pennsylvania primary election on Tuesday. The polls are now closed, and results are starting to come in. See live results for Philadelphia district attorney, Philadelphia controller, Commonwealth Court and Superior Court. Philadelphia District Attorney Former Philadelphia Municipal Court President Judge Pat Dugan is hoping to unseat two-time incumbent Larry Krasner in the Democratic primary. Krasner is seeking a third term after he focused on reducing incarceration, supporting victims and holding police accountable during his first two terms as DA. Despite political opposition claiming he should be tougher on crime, Krasner points to significant drops in violent crime and homicides as evidence his reforms are working. Meanwhile, Dugan, a U.S. Army veteran, is running for district attorney to take a tougher stance on crime, criticizing Krasner's approach. He plans to localize the DA's office, prioritize prosecuting violent offenders, expand resources for diversionary programs for low-level crimes, and hire more locally trained attorneys. No Republican filed to run for DA. Philadelphia Controller In the Philadelphia City Controller race, incumbent Christy Brady is running unopposed in the Democratic primary, and stockbroker Ari Patrinos is running unopposed in the Republican primary. Commonwealth Court The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania has one open seat after Judge Ellen Ceisler retired in January. In the Democratic primary, Stella Tsai, a judge on the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas, is running unopposed. In the Republican primary, environmental attorney Matthew Wolford and civil rights attorney Joshua Prince are vying for the nomination. The Commonwealth Court is an appellate court that handles appeals to decisions made by Pennsylvania state agencies and civil cases brought by and against Pennsylvania. Superior Court The Superior Court of Pennsylvania has one open seat after Judge Dan McCaffery's election to the state Supreme Court in 2023. In the Democratic primary, Brandon P. Neuman, a judge on the Washington County Court of Common Pleas and former Democratic state representative, is running unopposed. In the Republican primary, Maria Battista, a former assistant district attorney, and Ann Marie Wheatcraft, president judge of the Chester County Court of Common Pleas, are vying for the nomination. On the same level as the Commonwealth Court, the Superior Court handles appeals in criminal and civil cases from the lower Courts of Common Pleas. The primary results will determine each party's nominee for the general election in November.
CNN
20-05-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Races for Philly district attorney and Pittsburgh mayor take center stage in Pennsylvania's primary
Voters on Tuesday will choose new candidates to run for some of the top jobs in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, with the winners of the Democratic primaries all but assured of victory in November in the two heavily Democratic cities. In Philadelphia, Larry Krasner is seeking a third term as district attorney of the nation's sixth-most populous city. The longtime civil rights lawyer has, at times, come under heavy criticism as a prosecutor but has thus far a survived efforts to oust him that successfully removed some other progressive district attorneys, including in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Oakland. Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey, the city's first Black mayor, is seeking a second term. Both are Democrats who originally ran as progressives and face a primary challenger. To some extent, President Donald Trump looms over the races, as Krasner and Gainey have vowed to resist his conservative agenda. Republicans will also get to weigh in Tuesday on the Pittsburgh mayor's race, though their party isn't fielding a candidate in the Philadelphia district attorney's contest. Here's what to know about the contests: Krasner is running again after withstanding an impeachment attempt by Republican state lawmakers and years of being a campaign trail punching bag for Trump. Krasner has the benefit of crime rates falling in big US cities, including Philadelphia, after they rose sharply during the Covid-19 pandemic. Krasner's primary opponent is Pat Dugan, a US Army veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and was the head administrative judge of the Philadelphia Municipal Court before he resigned to run. Dugan has aimed to make the race about Krasner's crime-fighting policies — he calls Krasner 'Let 'em Go Larry' — and accused the incumbent of staffing the district attorney's office with ill-prepared and inexperienced lawyers. Krasner originally ran in 2017 on a progressive platform that included holding police accountable and opposing the death penalty, cash bail, prosecuting minor nonviolent offenses and a culture of mass incarceration. Like some big-city Democrats, Krasner has turned toward pro-public safety messaging, maintaining that he is serious about pursuing violent crime and touting new technologies and strategies that his office is using to solve or prevent crime. Krasner has repeatedly invoked Trump and suggested that he is the best candidate to stand up to the president. In a TV ad, he cast himself as the foil to 'Trump and his billionaire buddies, the shooting groups and gun lobby, the old system that denied people justice for too long. They can come for Philly, but I'm not backing down.' Dugan has invoked Trump, too, saying in a TV ad that Philadelphia faces the threats of crime, injustice and a 'president bent on destruction.' He also accuses Krasner of failing to deliver 'real reform or make us safe. Now he wants us to believe he can take on Trump? Get real.' Gainey and Allegheny County Controller Corey O'Connor — the son of a former Pittsburgh mayor — are jousting over affordable housing policy, homelessness, public safety and revitalizing downtown in a city that is trying to grow after recovering from the devastating collapse of its steel industry. Gainey, who grew up in subsidized housing, has portrayed himself as the mayor who sides with regular people and as a 'mayor that's going to fight for you' when the Trump administration threatens the city. He also touted the city's strong economy under his watch. O'Connor won the local party's endorsement over Gainey. He criticized Gainey's management of the city, saying Gainey was reckless with city finances, lacked vision to bring businesses back to downtown and fell badly short in expanding affordable housing. He also said people didn't feel safe in Pittsburgh. On the Republican ballot are Thomas West and Tony Moreno. Pittsburgh has not elected a Republican as mayor in nearly a century.
