{"id":18799,"date":"2021-05-19T22:59:16","date_gmt":"2021-05-20T05:59:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/?p=18799"},"modified":"2021-05-19T22:59:33","modified_gmt":"2021-05-20T05:59:33","slug":"philly-da-larry-krasner-beats-primary-challenger-carlos-vega-by-wide-margin-in-closely-watched-race","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2021\/05\/19\/philly-da-larry-krasner-beats-primary-challenger-carlos-vega-by-wide-margin-in-closely-watched-race\/","title":{"rendered":"Philly DA Larry Krasner beats primary challenger Carlos Vega by wide margin in closely watched race"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Krasner\u2019s primary win puts a second four-year term easily in reach after he campaigned on his record of criminal justice reform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/resizer\/rLXFCs9xpAvy3aKdQZKLC1mg3LY=\/0x0:3000x2001\/760x507\/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com\/pmn\/B6YRMRHJJ5CZBOA63MTSX26F34.jpg\" alt=\"District Attorney Larry Krasner embraces City Councilmember Helen Gym as he arrives to make his victory speech on Tuesday.\"\/><figcaption>District Attorney Larry Krasner embraces City Councilmember Helen Gym as he arrives to make his victory speech on Tuesday.TOM GRALISH \/ Staff Photographer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>May 18, 2021 (Inquirer.com)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner easily defeated Democratic primary challenger Carlos Vega on Tuesday, taking a giant step toward winning a second term after campaigning on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/politics\/philadelphia-district-attorney-da-larry-krasner-first-term-election-20210514.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">his record of criminal justice reform<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Associated Press projected Krasner as the winner over Vega late Tuesday night. As of Wednesday morning, with 72% of the projected votes counted, Krasner held a wide advantage, 65% to 35%.In a city where Democrats outnumber Republicans seven to one, Krasner is now very likely to win November\u2019s general election. Hewon the 2017 general election with 75% of the vote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFour years ago we promised reform and a focus on serious crime,\u201d Krasner told supporters at a Center City hotel Tuesday night. \u201cWe kept those promises. And this time they put us back in office for what we have done. Not ideas, not promises, but realities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Krasner, 60, was a defense and civil rights lawyer for three decades, with a long record of suing the Philadelphia police <a href=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/philly\/news\/politics\/city\/larry-krasner-wins-race-for-philly-da-20171107.html\">before he was elected as a reformer in 2017<\/a>. That victory helped propel him to the forefront of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/justice-department\/these-reform-prosecutors-are-shaking-system-pro-police-groups-aren-n1033286\">a new crop of progressive prosecutors<\/a> across the country, a reform movement that was tested this election in Philadelphia by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/news\/philadelphia-gun-violence-homicides-shootings-pandemic-2020-20210101.html\">rising violent crime<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In his victory speech, Krasner said he had a mandate \u201cfrom the people most affected by serious crime,\u201d voters he suggested had rejected critics who blame the DA for shootings plaguing the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThat mandate has rejected, definitively, a politics of fear that is built on falsehoods,\u201d he said, calling for more funding for crime prevention. \u201cWe have to invest in all those things because we were robbed of them a long time ago. And what we are facing now is the consequences.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>\u00bb READ MORE: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/politics\/election\/philadelphia-voters-district-attorney-larry-krasner-carlos-vega-20210518.html\">We talked to voters across Philly as they cast ballots for district attorney<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Vega, 64, was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/politics\/election\/carlos-vega-philadelphia-district-attorney-election-larry-krasner-20210514.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a prosecutor for 35 years <\/a>until Krasner fired him during his first week as DA in 2018. Vega <a href=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/news\/philadelphia-district-attorney-larry-krasner-lawsuits-carlos-vega-joseph-whitehead-tami-levin-20190906.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">still has a federal age discrimination suit <\/a>pending against Krasner and last week <a href=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/politics\/election\/carlos-vega-larry-krasner-shaun-king-lawsuit-20210506.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">also sued Krasner\u2019s campaign<\/a> for slander.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite <a href=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/politics\/election\/philadelphia-police-union-fop-da-larry-krasner-carlos-vega-20210511.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">financial support from the local police union<\/a> and other Krasner opponents that kept him competitive in fund-raising, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/news\/philadelphia-gun-violence-homicides-shootings-pandemic-2020-20210101.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a soaring homicide rate<\/a> that could have made the incumbent more politically vulnerable, Vega was unable to make it a close race. He struggled to mount a case for his candidacy beyond not being Krasner and often-vague promises of continued reforms paired with a greater emphasis on public safety. \u201cI\u2019m not going to reverse any policies,\u201d Vega told The Inquirer at one point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Late Tuesday night, the Vega campaign asked an Inquirer reporter to leave its results watch party, which the campaign had attempted to prevent media from covering despite a longtime tradition of journalists observing candidates\u2019 election night events. Vega declined a parting interview. He conceded on Twitter shortly before midnight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt looks like tonight we did not get the result we wanted, but even in defeat we have grace &amp; we smile,\u201d he wrote. \u201cTHANK YOU to our supporters, and most especially the victims of crime who bravely stood up when the establishment, the celebrities and the media decided they wouldn\u2019t listen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>\u00bb READ MORE: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/politics\/election\/philadelphia-district-attorney-race-crime-victims-krasner-vega-20210508.html\">From before the primary: Crime victims are some of the most visible figures fighting against Krasner\u2019s reelection<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Defense attorney <a href=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/politics\/clout\/chuck-peruto-larry-krasner-philadelphia-district-attorney-election-20210209.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Chuck Peruto, the only Republican in the race<\/a>, significantly trails Krasner in fund-raising and has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/politics\/election\/chuck-peruto-republican-philadelphia-district-attorney-candidate-20210510.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">drawn scrutiny for controversial statements<\/a> in candidate forums and on his campaign website. Peruto, a former Democrat who voted for Krasner four years ago, had vowed to drop out of the race if Vega won the Democratic primary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Voters were also awaiting results in <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/philly-tips\/judge-elections-pennsylvania-20210406.html\" target=\"_blank\">local and statewide judicial races<\/a> and for <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/politics\/election\/spl\/pa-election-primary-2021-ballot-questions-guide-20210419.html\" target=\"_blank\">a series of Pennsylvania ballot questions<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Krasner cast the election as a choice between returning to a past of discrimination in the criminal justice system or continuing to remake prosecution in the city \u2014 with an emphasis on fair treatment for defendants, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/news\/philadelphia-probation-community-supervision-reform-da-larry-krasner-20210419.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reducing mass incarceration<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/crime\/a\/philadelphia-murder-exonerations-wrongful-convictions-20210507.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">exonerating wrongfully convicted prisoners<\/a>, and holding police accountable for wrongdoing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis is a showdown between the past and the future,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/politics\/election\/live\/election-2021-results-philadelphia-da-updates-news-20210518.html#card-701367681\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Krasner said earlier Tuesday while campaigning<\/a> outside a West Philadelphia polling place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Vega centered his campaign on concerns about violent crime \u2014 an increase <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2021\/01\/06\/953254623\/massive-1-year-rise-in-homicide-rates-collided-with-the-pandemic-in-2020\" target=\"_blank\">happening in large cities across the country<\/a>, including ones with more traditional prosecutors. He promised a balance of continued reforms and increased public safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>\u00bb READ MORE: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/politics\/philadelphia-district-attorney-da-larry-krasner-first-term-election-20210514.html\">Philly elected Larry Krasner district attorney to reform the system. Here\u2019s what he did.<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Krasner was able to maintain and reenergize the coalition that helped him win four years ago, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/politics\/election\/philadelphia-da-larry-krasner-reelection-campaign-progressives-20210511.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">progressive groups like Reclaim Philadelphia<\/a> and vote-rich, predominantly Black wards in Northwest and West Philadelphia, where high-profile elected officials publicly supported him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That coalition helped Krasner overcome <a href=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/politics\/clout\/philadelphia-district-attorney-larry-krasner-carlos-vega-protect-our-police-pac-20210401.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a lack of support from the city\u2019s Democratic Party<\/a>, which voted not to endorse either candidate \u2014 a rare snub with an incumbent Democrat on the ballot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mayor Jim Kenney also declined to take a position. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/politics\/election\/philly-da-larry-krasner-carlos-vega-ads-debate-20210512.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Krasner\u2019s one television ad<\/a> lumped actions under Kenney\u2019s administration in with examples of the city\u2019s \u201cbroken justice system,\u201d opening with a scene of officers teargassing demonstrators on I-676 last year. Kenney acknowledged that he approved the use of tear gas in what became a national embarrassment for the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>State Rep. Joanna McClinton, the Democratic leader in Harrisburg and a former public defender from West Philadelphia, said voters were deciding whether to return to an era of prosecutors \u201cdoing anything they need to do to win,\u201d or to continue with the accountability Krasner brought to the office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com\/pmn\/4B3LNRR7J5G4HFMZMGRBEI7MVE.jpg\" alt=\"Vega visits the East Passyunk Community Center on on Tuesday.\"\/><figcaption>Vega visits the East Passyunk Community Center on on Tuesday.JESSICA GRIFFIN \/ Staff Photographer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/politics\/election\/philadelphia-police-union-fop-da-larry-krasner-carlos-vega-20210511.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Vega\u2019s strongest financial and public support came from the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5<\/a>, the local police union, which has been fiercely critical of Krasner\u2019s reforms and blamed him for rising violent crime. Krasner cast the union as another opponent on the ballot, saying Vega would follow the FOP\u2019s agenda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/politics\/clout\/philadelphia-district-attorney-larry-krasner-george-soros-retired-cops-20200807.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">A group of retired officers founded Protect Our Police PAC<\/a>, which spent almost $134,000 to air television ads featuring <a href=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/politics\/election\/philadelphia-district-attorney-race-crime-victims-krasner-vega-20210508.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the families of people killed in the city<\/a> criticizing how Krasner handled those cases. The FOP gave the group $113,000. The Vega campaign itself never purchased TV ads, and instead spent heavily on mailing fliers to voters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rather than conventional get-out-the-vote rallies with crowds of supporters, Vega made his closing argument to groups with a mix of skeptical voters and others who were open to his message. His events in the final days were small neighborhood gatherings, including a meet-and-greet hosted by a community activist and an antiviolence rally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>His campaign also hoped for a boost from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/politics\/election\/ed-rendell-carlos-vega-endorsement-philly-da-larry-krasner-20210511.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a last-minute endorsement by former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell<\/a>, the former Philadelphia mayor and longtime district attorney who hired Vega for his first job as a city prosecutor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>\u00bb READ MORE: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/crime\/a\/philadelphia-murder-exonerations-wrongful-convictions-20210507.html\">Philly\u2019s overturned murder cases call decades of homicide investigations into question<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Krasner campaigned with people who had been exonerated by his Conviction Integrity Unit and denounced Vega as part of a win-at-all-costs approach that sent innocent people to prison.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A political action committee funded by billionaire George Soros, who backed Krasner in the 2017 primary, spent $90,000 on radio ads supporting his reelection. Vega spent just $30,000 on last-minute radio ads. Krasner\u2019s hit the airwaves late, but he ended the campaign as the biggest spender in the race, dropping almost $160,000 on TV and radio ads, according to the advertising tracking firm AdImpact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It combined for far less advertising spending than in the 2017 primary, when a Soros-funded group spent $1.7 million just on its own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One case, from before Krasner took office, haunted Vega in the campaign \u2014 that of Anthony Wright, who was acquitted in a 2016 retrial of his 1991 conviction for rape and murder. Vega and another prosecutor went forward with the retrial despite DNA evidence that showed another man committed the crime. Wright <a href=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/philly\/news\/crime\/anthony-wright-louise-talley-10-million-settlement-dna-evidence-rape-murder-nicetown-25-years-philadelphia-20180606.html\">won a $10 million settlement<\/a> from the city in 2018.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Vega tried to minimize his role in the case, saying he was brought in to help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe can\u2019t go back to that,\u201d Wright<a href=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/politics\/election\/philly-da-race-larry-krasner-carlos-vega-20210515.html?outputType=amp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> said while campaigning with Krasner<\/a> on Saturday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com\/pmn\/KJME3TLBXRE2PCW4AELXO64Q6I.jpg\" alt=\"Krasner outside City Hall on May 4 with a group of men exonerated of wrongful murder convictions. From left to right behind him are Theophalis Bilal Wilson, Terrance Lewis, Jimmy Dennis, Anthony Wright, and Tony Wright Jr.\"\/><figcaption>Krasner outside City Hall on May 4 with a group of men exonerated of wrongful murder convictions. From left to right behind him are Theophalis Bilal Wilson, Terrance Lewis, Jimmy Dennis, Anthony Wright, and Tony Wright Jr.<a>Read more<\/a>JESSICA GRIFFIN \/ Staff Photographer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Karen Smith, 48, voted for Krasner in Strawberry Mansion because Krasner had \u201ccleaned house\u201d at the DA\u2019s Office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBeing an African American person, when it comes to justice, we\u2019re not given a fair shake sometimes,\u201d Smith said. \u201cI feel like Larry Krasner has done a great job making sure that everybody is held accountable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>John Teague, a community leader in Manayunk, survived an attack in the neighborhood a few years ago and said the experience makes him wary of Krasner, whom he sees as soft on crime. He spent the last few months campaigning for Vega with signs taped to his red convertible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou can have criminal justice reform without tossing the baby out with the bathwater,\u201d Teague said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the days leading up to the election, Vega made a series of stops at community events in primarily Black neighborhoods like Mill Creek and Germantown. At a Germantown daycare owned by Wanda Walker, who lives in Montgomery County but is a community activist in the neighborhood, Vega said he would make the DA\u2019s Office more effective at prosecuting crime by recruiting experienced prosecutors \u2014 rather than the ones Krasner plucked from top law schools to replace Vega and the 30 other prosecutors he fired after taking office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe defense attorneys are killing these DAs like they don\u2019t know what they\u2019re doing. I was trained,\u201d Vega said. \u201cI always said when I lecture to DAs, \u2018We don\u2019t work 9-to-5.\u2019 Because if you work 9-to-5, it\u2019s Mickey Mouse results. Crime is 24\/7. I have found witnesses at midnight, 2 in the morning, whatever. That\u2019s because I have heart.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As the meeting wrapped up, Walker said that Vega made good points but that his candidacy would struggle in Black neighborhoods to overcome his association with the police union.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>-Staff writers Anna Orso and Julia Terruso, and staff photographer David Maialetti contributed to this article.<\/em> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Krasner\u2019s primary win puts a second four-year term easily in reach after he campaigned on his record of criminal justice reform. May 18, 2021 (Inquirer.com) Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner easily defeated Democratic primary challenger Carlos Vega on Tuesday, taking a giant step toward winning a second term after campaigning&#8230; <a class=\"continue-reading-link\" href=\"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2021\/05\/19\/philly-da-larry-krasner-beats-primary-challenger-carlos-vega-by-wide-margin-in-closely-watched-race\/\"> Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr; <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18799"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18799"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18799\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18801,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18799\/revisions\/18801"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18799"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18799"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18799"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}