Larry Krasner: Incumbent reformer<\/p>\n
Since first taking office in 2018, Larry Krasner, 63, has become one of the nation\u2019s most prominent recognizable \u2014 and polarizing \u2014 figures in criminal justice. Elected in 2017 as part of a national wave of reform-minded prosecutors, Krasner entered office vowing to reshape the city\u2019s approach to crime and punishment. His tenure has since defined Philadelphia as a testing ground for progressive prosecution \u2014 one focused on decarceration, police accountability and systemic reform.\n<\/p>\n
During his tenure, he has effectively eliminated cash bail for most nonviolent offenses, prioritized treatment over incarceration and created a Conviction Integrity Unit that has exonerated more than 30 wrongfully convicted people. His approach has earned praise from national reform advocates but also fierce criticism from police unions, conservative lawmakers and some victims\u2019 families who argue his policies have fueled lawlessness.\n<\/p>\n
Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Krasner attended the University of Chicago and earned his law degree from Stanford University Law School. After relocating to Philadelphia, he began his career as a public defender before launching his own law firm, where he built a reputation as a fierce civil rights attorney. Over three decades, he represented protest movements including Black Lives Matter, Occupy Philadelphia and ACT UP, often pro bono. He also filed more than 75 civil rights lawsuits against the Philadelphia Police Department \u2014 a record that later shaped his approach to prosecutorial oversight.\n<\/p>\n
Krasner\u2019s first campaign for district attorney was fueled by public outrage over police shootings of unarmed individuals and the broader backlash to the Trump administration\u2019s law-and-order agenda. Backed by $1.7 million from a political action committee funded by billionaire philanthropist George Soros, Krasner ran on a platform promising to end mass incarceration and prosecute police misconduct.\n <\/p>\n
Once in office, Krasner quickly moved to implement sweeping changes. In his first year, he directed prosecutors to drop charges for simple marijuana possession<\/a>, ended the use of cash bail<\/a> for many misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies and recommended shorter prison sentences<\/a> in plea deals. His office was instructed to weigh not only the harm caused by crimes, but also the financial cost of incarceration to taxpayers<\/a>. He expanded diversion programs and emphasized rehabilitation<\/a> over punishment, arguing that traditional prosecutorial approaches had failed to improve safety or fairness.\n<\/p>\n In 2019, Krasner challenged Pennsylvania\u2019s death penalty system, filing a motion with the state Supreme Court that it was unconstitutional due to racial bias and wrongful convictions<\/a>. His administration\u2019s position marked a clear departure from past district attorneys and aligned Philadelphia with a growing national movement to end capital punishment.\n<\/p>\n But Krasner\u2019s bold reforms have made him a lightning rod for critics who blame his policies for Philadelphia\u2019s surge in gun violence during the pandemic years. Police unions and Republican lawmakers accused him of enabling lawlessness and demoralizing officers. In 2022, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives voted to impeach Krasner<\/a> for alleged dereliction of duty, though the state Supreme Court later dismissed the proceedings. The Republican-led legislature also passed a law giving the state attorney general jurisdiction over cases within SEPTA transit stations<\/a> \u2014 a direct rebuke of Krasner\u2019s authority.\n<\/p>\n Despite these battles, Krasner has remained politically resilient. He easily won reelection in 2021, even amid record homicides and mounting criticism. Levels of crime \u2014 both violent<\/a> and other<\/a> \u2014 have dropped precipitously in the last year, but remain high in Philadelphia when compared to other cities<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n Krasner has regularly used his platform to criticize President Donald Trump. Most recently, Krasner has condemned Trump\u2019s deployments<\/a> of the National Guard to Washington, D.C. and other cities, and said he would use legal means to fight back if troops were sent to Philadelphia, though Trump has never said he intends to. At a recent town hall, Krasner likened Trump supporters<\/a> to \u201cpeople who agree with Adolf Hitler when he said that equality is a degenerate notion.\u201d\n<\/p>\n Although Krasner is running for a third term, he still describes himself as an outsider<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n Pat Dugan: \u2018Independent Democrat\u2019<\/p>\n Born and raised in Philadelphia\u2019s Fairmount neighborhood<\/a>, Pat Dugan built his career around public service \u2014 first in the military, then in the courtroom. The son of a single mother, Dugan attended St. Joseph\u2019s Preparatory High School on scholarship before enlisting in the U.S. Army Reserves in 1981 as a nuclear biological warfare specialist. He went on active duty two years later, serving as an airborne infantryman until 1989.\n<\/p>\n After returning home, Dugan earned his law degree from Rutgers-Camden Law School and spent more than a decade practicing law, focusing on cases involving children and low-income clients. Following 9\/11 terrorist attacks, he reenlisted at age 42 and deployed to Iraq, where he helped conduct democracy training programs and served as a Judge Advocate General, or JAG, officer. Over his combined years of military service, Dugan earned multiple honors, including the Bronze Star, Combat Action Badge, Parachutist Badge, Expert Infantryman\u2019s Badge and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.\n<\/p>\n In 2007, then\u2013Gov. Ed Rendell appointed Dugan to the Philadelphia Municipal Court, where he later won election to a full term. As a judge, he became best known for establishing Philadelphia\u2019s Veterans Court \u2014 a nationally recognized diversion program offering rehabilitation and alternative sentencing for veterans charged with crimes.\n<\/p>\n Dugan resigned from the bench in December 2024 to run for Philadelphia district attorney, arguing that the city\u2019s justice system had tilted too far toward leniency. His platform centers on public safety, community engagement and prosecutorial accountability. He has proposed reorganizing the DA\u2019s office into six regional divisions<\/a>, each staffed by a dedicated prosecutor working directly with community members and victims. Dugan says he wants to \u201chold all criminals accountable\u201d \u2014 but also to strengthen and expand diversion programs for nonviolent offenders, restoring balance between reform and enforcement.\n<\/p>\n Krasner has attempted to label him a \u201cright-wing judge\u201d aligned with Trump, but Dugan has sharply dismissed the comparison \u2014 calling the president \u201ca nut\u201d<\/a> and emphasizing that he shares some reform goals with Krasner, even if he disagrees with the current DA\u2019s execution of them. Dugan says he is still registered as a Democrat and now refers to himself as an \u201cindependent Democrat,\u201d despite having accepted the Republican nomination for DA.\n<\/p>\n Asked why he thought he could win on the Republican ticket in an overwhelmingly Democratic city after having decisively lost the primary, Dugan referred to an expanded voter base and also pointed out that more than 83% of primary voters didn\u2019t vote at all.\n<\/p>\n