Larry Krasner won Tuesday’s Democratic primary in Philadelphia’s district attorney race, defeating former municipal judge Pat Dugan by a wide margin. With no official Republican opponent for the general election, Krasner is virtually guaranteed a third term — unless Dugan reenters the race as a GOP candidate, an option that now appears viable thanks to a successful write-in campaign.

In his victory speech, Krasner pointed to his record since taking office in 2018, crediting progressive reforms for a drop in incarceration and violent crime. “When you believe in the potential of human beings to change or to avoid the crime in the first place,” he said, “you end up with the smallest number of homicides in years.” He also highlighted the release of 45 wrongfully convicted individuals and noted that city and state prison populations are at their lowest levels since he began practicing law in 1987, as reported by WHYY.

Krasner, who first ran as a self-described progressive reformer in 2017, has eliminated cash bail for most nonviolent offenses, declined to prosecute marijuana possession cases, shortened prison sentences, and created a public list of police officers with histories of misconduct. His policies have drawn strong criticism from conservative circles and moderate Democrats alike.

Dugan launched his campaign in December 2024 as a moderate alternative focused on public safety. He criticized Krasner’s approach, arguing that it contributed to high crime rates. According to WHYY, Dugan received endorsements from Democratic ward leaders and labor unions and significantly outspent Krasner during the campaign. Still, most Democratic voters weren’t swayed. “If you talk about past DAs like Lynne Abraham, it was always ‘tough on crime,’” said voter Keni Thomas. “Krasner looked at it in a more logical way.”

One key aspect of Krasner’s campaign was its focus on national politics. Rather than centering on Dugan, Krasner repeatedly invoked former President Donald Trump. That tactic seemed to resonate with voters like Thomas, who told WHYY: “Having a district attorney that’s willing to be a heat shield for the people is a good thing… if you’ve got a person that’s gonna fight legally tooth and nail things that go against the Constitution, I’m all for that guy.”

While Dugan conceded defeat in the Democratic primary, he might return in November. Over 6,600 Republican voters wrote in his name during their party’s primary — well above the 1,000 needed to qualify him as the GOP nominee. WHYY confirmed that this write-in effort was organized by Philadelphia Republican leaders, who see Dugan as a rare chance to unseat a Democratic DA. “This was something to be very proud of in a primary election,” said city GOP chair Vince Fenerty. “Our Republican voters saw this as an alternative way to help get rid of Larry Krasner.”

Fenerty pointed to a recent precedent: Allegheny County DA Stephen Zappala lost the Democratic primary in 2023 but won in November as a Republican after securing enough write-in votes. “We hope Dugan will sit down with his family and advisers and make the right choice,” Fenerty said.

As of Wednesday afternoon, with 99% of votes counted, Krasner led Dugan by over 37,000 votes. Voter turnout was just 15% in both the Democratic and Republican primaries, but participation is expected to rise in November. Republicans are investing heavily in flipping the state Supreme Court, which could boost turnout and help Dugan if he runs again.

Krasner’s victory celebration was attended by several prominent city leaders, including City Council President Kenyatta Johnson, Councilmembers Rue Landau, Jamie Gauthier, Kendra Brooks and Nicolas O’Rourke, as well as State Senators Sharif Street and Nikil Saval. “We need four more years of Larry Krasner,” Landau told WHYY. “Crime is going down, we are working with our community partners, we’re working with the police. Things will at least maintain the same trajectory if not get even better for Philadelphia.”