Voters are heading to the polls in Pennsylvania on Tuesday for a couple of hotly contested primaries that could indicate the direction some want for the Democratic Party following its losses in November.
The most notable elections are taking place in the state’s two largest cities, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Both are battles between progressive incumbents and more moderate challengers. And both come amid questions over which wing is stronger heading into the midterms.
Philadelphia D.A. primary
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner (D) has been a target for Republicans as a self-identified progressive who has pushed against mass incarceration. Since taking office in 2018, Krasner has pushed to eliminate cash bail for non-violent offenses, reduced sentencings for certain crimes and ended prosecutions for possession of marijuana.
He was impeached by Republicans in the state legislature in 2022 over his handling of crime and public safety in the city, but he survived the effort as a trial in the state Senate was indefinitely delayed and the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled last year that the articles of impeachment expired.
He also faced an electoral challenge in his own party four years ago when he faced down a primary challenge from former Assistant District Attorney Carlos Vega, who ran on getting tougher on crime. But despite the attention he received, Vega lost by more than 30 points.
Now seeking a third term in office, Krasner is facing another primary challenge from Pat Dugan, a former municipal judge who is running on a law-and-order platform.
Krasner has vowed during his third term to expand alternatives to incarceration, particularly for juveniles and those 18 to 25 years old, prevent wrongful convictions by training against “problematic” interrogation techniques and advocate for increased funding for violence interruption programs to reduce gun violence.
Dugan has called for restoring the staffing of the district attorney’s office to 100 percent within 18 months, change prosecutorial discretion to hold “all criminals accountable” with a focus on reducing repeat offenders of violent crimes and prioritizing “high-impact” cases.
He’s said low-level, first-time offenders should receive a second chance and should enter diversionary programs to allow them to avoid jail time and instead receive rehabilitation.
The local Philadelphia-based radio station WHYY reported that the candidates agree on numerous issues, including cash bail, sentencing reform and alternatives to incarceration. But they differ on issues like the death penalty, with Krasner opposing it and Dugan saying it could be used in certain rare cases.
Dugan has blamed Krasner for the overall rise in crime and retail theft, the outlet reported, while Krasner has argued his policies are beginning to work following a surge during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pittsburgh mayoral primary
On the other side of the state, progressive Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey (D) is trying to avoid the same fate as his predecessor, whom he ousted from office four years ago.
The first Black mayor of Pittsburgh, Gainey defeated former Mayor Bill Peduto in the Democratic primary in 2021 but now faces a primary challenge from Alleghany County Controller Corey O’Connor, the son of former Pittsburgh Mayor Bob O’Connor (D).
The race has become another proxy battle of sorts between progressives and moderates.
As mayor, Gainey has emphasized addressing the root causes of crime, making investments in affordable housing, public spaces and infrastructure and increasing the use of renewable energy for city facilities. If reelected, he’s called for bringing in more civilian staff to the police department to work on issues that social workers and unarmed individuals can address, improving the safety rating of all city-owned bridges and using the mayor’s office to expand union rights.
Gainey has particularly touted the city’s drop in the number of homicides since the pandemic.
But much of the focus of the race has been on the city’s budget as it faces difficult times ahead, as a report from the city controller’s office last year warned the city is running out of the money in its reserve account, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.
O’Connor has argued that Gainey has allowed the city to be on this track. He’s called for implementing strategic debt management practices and creating a capital stabilization reserve, investigating and reallocating idle funds and reforming vendor contracting to tackle the issue.
He’s also pushing for more staffing and funding for public safety services, blaming Gainy for the staffing issues and turnover in the city’s police department leadership.
Millions of dollars supporting both candidates have flowed into the race, much of it coming from outside groups. Both candidates have also secured an impressive number of endorsements, with the city council almost evenly split between them and both also gaining the support of various labor unions.
Polling of the race has been sparse but has suggested either candidate could claim victory.
