PHILADELPHIA, PA – Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner has announced he is running for a third term, vowing to make the city “safer and freer,” pointing towards his service since his victory in the 2017 election, according to the Philly Voice.
Krasner, who will face former Philadelphia Municipal Judge Patrick Dugan in the Democratic primary, called the city’s drop in homicide rates “a testament to criminal justice methods that have targeted root causes in society.”
Krasner stated, “When you meet people’s basic needs, when you let young people see a future, it gets safer,” in the Philly Voice.
Philly Voice noted Krasner was “part of a wave” of progressive prosecutor elections during President Donald Trump’s previous term, and Krasner vowed to act as a “democracy advocate” alongside his prosecutor duties, now charging the Trump Administration’s “dismantling of federal agencies” would require local governments to focus on protecting justice and civil rights.
“There is a moral line here. The people on the wrong side of this moral line will get the reputation they deserve, and it will be a profile in cowardice. It will not be a profile in courage. These are people who are fundamentally un-American and anti-American,” said Krasner to the Philly Voice.
When Krasner won against six candidates in the 2017 Democratic primary, Philly Voice writes, he was a “political outsider” in a city where there are more Democratic voters than Republican. However, he won “nearly 75 percent of the vote in the general election.”
Philly Voice detailed Krasner’s former opponents, including in the 2021 primary against former city prosecutor Carlos Vega, who centered his campaign around Philadelphia’s homicide rates and shootings under Krasner during the pandemic. Additionally, Krasner defeated Republican criminal defense attorney Chuck Peruto in the general election.
During his eight years as DA, Philly Voice described, Krasner has been a “frequent target of Republican foes in Pennsylvania.”
Appointed by Trump, former U.S. Attorney William McSwain claims Krasner was responsible for a “culture of lawlessness” in the city. He said Krasner mishandled cases, “allowing violent offenders to remain on the streets.” Additionally, the House Republicans in Harrisburg attempted to impeach him due to “misconduct.”
Philly Voice described Krasner’s campaign event last week, where he was joined by multiple Democrats, including State Senators Anthony Hardy Williams and Nikil Saval, Philadelphia City Council President Kenyatta Johnson, and four council members.
However, the Philly Voice reported, the Philadelphia Democratic Party is not projected to endorse a candidate during the primary, “instead keeping it open as they did in each of the last two district attorney elections.”
Dugan is a U.S. Army veteran and Philadelphia Municipal Court judge, Philly Voice writes, resigning from his position in December to start his DA campaign. He is favored by the Philadelphia Building Trades & Construction Council, as well as having “raised more money than Krasner did last year.”
In 2023, Dugan unsuccessfully ran for Pennsylvania Superior Court in the Democratic Primary against Jill Beck and Tamika Lane. Beck and Lane both “defeated their Republican opponents” that year.
Philly Voice reported Dugan’s campaign focuses on him as a “pragmatic candidate,” who prioritizes the safety and security of Philadelphia.
According to Philly Voice, Dugan stated, “Larry is correct that murders are down right now for the year. But what he’s not saying is total violent crime is up over 50 percent, aggravated assaults are up 67 percent, robberies with a gun are up 42 percent, robberies without a gun are up 59 percent and auto thefts are up 35 percent. People have not felt safe across our city for a very long time.’”
Philly Voice acknowledged Dugan’s criticisms of Krasner’s policy, which viewed retail thefts under $500 as low level offenses. Krasner changed this policy after a spike in theft, but Dugan stated the damage “had already impacted the city’s business community.”
Krasner noted Philadelphia “has outperformed other cities,” in Philly Voice, adding a 2022 drop in homicides by 11 percent, compared to the national average of eight percent seen in major cities.
In 2023, Philadelphia’s homicides dropped by 20 percent, and 13 percent nationally. Most recently, 2024 saw a 35 percent drop, while they fell by 22 percent nationwide. Philadelphia’s homicide rate peaked in 2021 with 562, “compared to 269 in 2024.”
Thus far, Philly Voice detailed, 2025 data suggests that both violent crime and property crime are higher than they were this time last year. The first weeks of February show they are both “up nearly 43 percent versus this time last year.”
As reported by Philly Voice, Krasner stated, “What we need to do here is to take this city from being chronically violent to consistently safe.”
The primary election will occur on May 20.
