Progressive DAs Krasner and Bragg Re-Elected in Philadelphia and Manhattan

Philly DA Larry Krasner

By Vanguard Staff

PHILADELPHIA, PA — Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner secured a decisive third term Tuesday night, handily defeating Republican nominee and former Municipal Court Judge Patrick Dugan, according to unofficial results reported by the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The Associated Press called the race shortly after polls closed, confirming another four years for the 64-year-old incumbent whose tenure has been marked by both fierce opposition and sustained grassroots support.

Krasner, who barely campaigned after his May primary victory, criticized Dugan for accepting the Republican nomination through a write-in campaign, but largely ignored him otherwise. Dugan, 65, a registered Democrat backed by the GOP and the Forward Party founded by Andrew Yang, struggled to raise funds and spread his message that he was a more pragmatic alternative.

At an election night event in Northeast Philadelphia, Dugan delivered an unusually sharp concession speech, saying Krasner’s policies had led to “death and carnage” in the city.

“Larry Krasner did not win this election. The truth won,” Dugan said. “Because throughout this campaign Larry Krasner was finally exposed for what he is: a despicable, uncaring, heartless human being. He looks at death and carnage and the unspeakable suffering that results from his policies, and he shrugs.”

Krasner, who did not host an election night event, is expected to address the victory publicly Wednesday. The win cements his role as a national leader among progressive prosecutors, outlasting many peers who have resigned or been removed from office. He continues to emphasize ending mass incarceration and focusing resources on violent crime while expanding diversion programs for low-level offenses.

Rev. Donna Jones, pastor of Cookman Beloved Community Baptist Church, credited Krasner’s organizing roots for his staying power.

“Larry’s experience as a community organizer has been one of his greatest strengths,” Jones said. “I can’t even say the man is particularly approachable. But he’s present.”

She added, “I don’t know if we can expect more from a politician with that level of authenticity. He is who he is. We know he is fierce. And we know where he stands.”

Krasner’s first term coincided with a national surge in shootings during the pandemic, but he was easily re-elected in 2021 despite clashes with the police union and impeachment by the Republican-controlled Pennsylvania House. The impeachment failed after the state Supreme Court ruled it improper.

Since then, shootings and homicides have fallen sharply, with Philadelphia’s homicide rate now at its lowest level in decades.

Supporters like North Philadelphia pastor Carl Day credited Krasner for stabilizing the city.

“If he got all the blame when crime was high, how do we not give him credit now that it’s down?” Day said. “We’re seeing clearance rates rise, shootings fall, and gangs dismantled. What more do we want at this point?”

Still, critics in both parties continue to accuse Krasner of mismanagement. The Democratic City Committee declined to endorse him during the primary, and Dugan gained significant backing from the powerful Building & Construction Trades Council led by Ryan Boyer. Dugan’s criticisms intensified after the killing of 23-year-old Kada Scott, whose alleged killer had prior charges dropped by Krasner’s office when witnesses failed to appear. Krasner later acknowledged that prosecutors could have used video evidence to continue the case.

Some voters said the case swayed them.

“They say crimes are down, but every day you turn on the radio and they tell you someone has died,” said Jennifer Maloney, 62, of Roxborough. In South Philadelphia, Sue Henderson, 50, said, “He hasn’t owned up to anything.”

Yet others stood firmly by Krasner.

Lisa Burns, 70, a theater artist in Mt. Airy, said she voted for him because she believes he can improve life in the city.

“It feels as equally important that he is given the opportunity to figure out and fight these impossible problems we have here,” she said. Center City resident Elyse Rosen, 74, said, “There’s always these campaigns to get rid of him. I’m always suspicious about that.”

In neighboring New York, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg also cruised to re-election Tuesday, according to The New York Times.

Bragg, 52, the first Black person to lead the office and the first prosecutor to convict a president, won a second term with roughly three-quarters of the vote. The Associated Press called the race within an hour of polls closing.

“I love democracy,” Bragg told supporters at Harlem Tavern, adding that voters “spoke loudly” about wanting “safety and fairness together.”

Bragg highlighted decreases in murders and shootings since taking office in 2022 and pledged to expand initiatives such as the Pathways division, which diverts people struggling with mental health or substance use away from incarceration.

Bragg’s landslide and Krasner’s third-term victory signal that progressive prosecutors—long under siege politically—continue to hold firm in major urban centers, even as counterparts in California and elsewhere have faced recalls, removals, or intense backlash.

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