Incumbent Larry Krasner (D) defeated Patrick F. Dugan (D) 64.4%-35.6% in the Democratic primary for district attorney of Philadelphia on May 20.
Before the election, WHYY Radio’s Carmen Russell-Sluchansky wrote, “The contest pits two competing philosophies against each other: Krasner’s commitment to continuing to overhaul a historically punitive system and Dugan’s pledge to restore a sense of safety.” Following the election, Axios Philadelphia’s Mike D’Onofrio wrote that Krasner’s win “signals the city’s ongoing support for his criminal justice reforms.”
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, if Krasner is re-elected to a third term in November, he would become the second district attorney to serve more than two terms in nearly 100 years. No Republican candidate has filed to run in the general election.
The district attorney of Philadelphia is responsible for charging and prosecuting accused criminals. The office decides what offenses someone will be charged with and can also determine sentencing via plea deals.
Krasner was first elected in 2017. Krasner campaigned on his record, and his website said, “During his first two terms, Larry has focused on the most serious crimes in Philadelphia while working to address the root causes of violence. The results: Murders are down more than 25% from his first year in office even as he has cut sentences in half.” He campaigned against President Donald Trump’s (R) administration. At his campaign launch, Krasner said, “We are going to make sure that [Trump’s] little plan to take over America fails. This election is a whole lot bigger than Philadelphia.”
Dugan was a former judge on the Philadelphia Municipal Court. Dugan’s campaign website said he would “[p]ersonally engage with communities, law enforcement, and victims to ensure justice is served, expand resources for diversionary programs, job training, and education, [and] always prioritize the safety and well-being of Philadelphia’s residents.” Dugan supported a plan to change the structure of the district attorney’s office, and his website said he “will restructure the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office into six divisions, each focused on a specific region of the city. Every division will be led by a senior prosecutor responsible for justice in their area.”
Before the election City & State Pennsylvania’s Harrison Cann wrote, “Each candidate will attempt to paint a different picture of the city, with Krasner likely to boast about declining homicide and violent crime rates, while Dugan could hone in on public sentiment that the city doesn’t feel safe.” Dugan was critical of Krasner’s handling of retail crime, and said, “Wawas are closing. They’re closing in Center City… the reality of it is it’s because [Krasner’s office] couldn’t control the retail theft.” Krasner said the city has seen a reduction in homicides during his tenure: “We had the largest percent reduction in homicides in Philadelphia’s history… We led the nation among big cities in terms of the improvements in public safety last year… We’re in our fifth year of being on this track of homicides, going down and down and down.”
Philadelphia Republican Party chair Vince Fenerty said Dugan was “a fine gentleman and an excellent judge [who] would be honest, fair, and open-minded.” Additionally, reporters speculated on whether national Republican figures would get involved in opposition to Krasner. The Downballot’s Jeff Nir and David Singer wrote that Elon Musk “pledged to dump in money to beat progressive prosecutors nationwide, and he’s been happy to feed speculation that Krasner could be one of his super PAC’s top targets. The two clashed just before the 2024 election when Krasner unsuccessfully sued to stop Musk from giving away $1 million a day to voters who signed a petition.”
In addition to the district attorney, Philadelphia voters also voted for other municipal offices in 2025. To learn more about those elections, click here.
Philadelphia is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. Click here to learn more about Philadelphia’s 2025 elections.