Larry Krasner: One Step Away From Being Philly’s DA

A name has emerged from Philadelphia’s cluttered District Attorney race as a genuine front-runner has emerged: Larry Krasner. The Democratic nominee for DA is considered the de facto winner after the primary stage, since Philadelphia swings so far to the left. Still, even if it’s all just for show, Krasner must win the office over the lone Republican candidate, Beth Grossman, in the fall.

Larry Krasner just won the Democratic nomination for Philadelphia District Attorney, poising him to win the election come fall.

Yesterday’s primary saw Krasner emerge amidst a crowded field of Democratic comers, including veteran prosecutors and a former city manager. Krasner is vying for the spot currently occupied by incumbent Democrat Seth Williams, who has turned down a shot at a third term given that he is being federally prosecuted on bribery charges.

Larry Krasner has never worked as a prosecutor. Instead, his experience comes in the field of civil rights law, where he has distinguished himself by defending Black Lives Matter and Occupy Philadelphia protesters. He opposes the death penalty and mass imprisonment. During his campaign, he was the indirect recipient of a $1.5 million boost from liberal billionaire George Soros via an independent political action campaign who canvassed for Krasner.

During an interview with The Intercept before the primaries happened, Krasner said that he felt “the time was right” for him to be running for office. He wants to address inequalities in the justice system. As he put it, “the criminal justice system systemically picks on poor people, and those people, at least in Philadelphia, are overwhelmingly black and brown people.” He went on to point out America’s high rate of incarceration and Philadelphia’s standout numbers among that.

Krasner built much of his campaign on resisting Donald Trump’s policies, specifically on immigration and drug enforcement. To wit: “I am not willing to help ICE with mass deportations. I am not willing to help the DEA or the FBI return to the mentality of the war on drugs. Of course I would engage in what I view to be appropriate drug enforcement but that doesn’t look like the war on drugs.”

Larry Krasner may well be bringing a healthy dose of progressive politics to the DA’s office if and when he gets elected in the fall.