Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner won reelection by a wide margin, following an unusual race that saw him face challenger Patrick Dugan in both the primary and general elections.
Krasner was leading with 96% of votes counted, with about 257,012 votes to Dugan’s 83,352 as early Wednesday morning.
The win means the 64-year-old former civil rights lawyer will serve a third term as one of the nation’s most prominent progressive prosecutors, whose focus on less incarceration, expanded diversion programs and prosecuting police misconduct has been popular with city voters despite detractors’ arguments that his policies contributed to a surge in crime during the pandemic.
Krasner released a social media video for his supporters early on Election Day, saying his expected win would show “there is a new politics.”
“You don’t need all the money. We didn’t have it. You don’t need all the media on your side. We didn’t have it. You don’t need all the traditional insider politicians on your side. We didn’t have it. You just need the votes, and that we are going to have,” he said.
He did not hold an election night watch party, as campaigns usually do, and he could not be reached for comment Tuesday night.
(For complete coverage of the election — including the vote to retain three Pa. Supreme Court judges and Mikie Sherill’s victory in the N.J. gubernatorial race — go to our colleagues’ coverage at WHYY News.)
Dugan, meanwhile, continued to savage Krasner despite his lopsided loss. Speaking to about 100 supporters gathered at the Cannstatter Volksfest social club in Northeast Philadelphia, he said, “Make no mistake about it, Larry Krasner did not win this election.”
“Larry Krasner was finally exposed for what he is — a despicable, uncaring, heartless human being,” Dugan said, to applause. “Yes, tonight I can see that I lost an election. But I rejoice in the fact that Larry Krasner finally has been exposed to anyone with eyes and ears as a curse upon this city.”
The former municipal judge had said he felt compelled to mount a Democratic primary challenge against the popular DA — and then a long-shot general election race, as the Republican nominee — because of public discontent over crime, which spiked in 2021 before plunging to historically low levels over the past two years.
Dugan accused the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office of repeatedly allowing people accused of violent crimes to be released from custody and go on to commit more offenses, and said Krasner failed to properly train lawyers on his staff or cooperate with other officials on anti-crime strategy. Krasner has denied the claims.
A debate over leniency
Dugan, a former Army reservist and military lawyer, served as a Municipal Court judge for 17 years, most recently as its president judge, until he quit in 2024 to run for DA. He was best known for his work establishing diversion programs, particularly a Veterans Court that offers rehabilitation and alternative sentencing options.
However, when he launched his campaign in December, he argued the city’s justice system had tilted too far toward leniency and suggested a tougher approach to accused criminals was needed.
He proposed reorganizing the DA’s office into regional divisions with prosecutors who worked directly with community members and victims, and said he would “hold all criminals accountable,” while still strengthening diversion programs for nonviolent offenders.
Krasner attempted to label Dugan a “right-wing judge” aligned with President Donald Trump. Dugan dismissed the comparison, calling the president “a nut” and suggesting during an election forum that the left-wing DA was like the president in making unilateral policy changes.
Dugan raised more than $900,000 in campaign contributions, much of it from labor unions who are part of the Philadelphia Building and Construction Trades Council, which endorsed his run. He far outstripped Krasner, who received about half a million dollars in donations.
As in Krasner’s previous races, the city Democratic Party declined to endorse his campaign, but he swept the primary nonetheless, earning 64% of the vote to Dugan’s 35%.
An unexpected rematch
There were no GOP candidates in the primary election, but Republicans eager to unseat Krasner organized a write-in campaign for Dugan and gave him about 7,000 votes, far more than enough to make him their nominee.
Dugan had said earlier that he would not run on a Republican ticket, but after his primary loss, he declined to rule it out and eventually reversed course.
“I cannot stand by and allow Mr. Krasner’s failed policies to continue to hold our city hostage,” Dugan said. “Every Philadelphian has a real choice this fall, and I believe they will stand with me for common sense and safety.”
That provoked angry condemnations from Krasner and top Democrats like Bob Brady, Philadelphia’s party chair, who accused Dugan of lying and vowed to help the DA win reelection despite previously not supporting him over the years. Ryan Boyer, the influential leader of the Building Trades Council, said he was “shocked” and would switch his support to Krasner.
The rematch campaign for the general election was a muted affair; there were no debates, the two men raised little money and Krasner apparently held no campaign events.
Dugan posted a steady stream of social media videos attacking the incumbent and announced a last-minute endorsement by the Fraternal Order of Police. He maintained that he would win if only a silent majority of Krasner critics made it to the polls.
“Get off your couch and vote, folks. That’s the only way you’re going to make a change in this city, is let your voice be heard,” he said at a press conference last month. “I need you, the people sitting out there on the couch, to stop complaining and vote.”
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