Philadelphia Prosecutor Seeks A Third Term, Saying Progressivism Is Ascendant Despite Trump Setbacks

The Philadelphia prosecutor who became a campaign trail punching bag for Republicans amid rising crime in U.S. cities during the coronavirus pandemic is running for reelection on the back end of a withering effort to oust progressive district attorneys nationwide.

Larry Krasner, still standing after a failed impeachment attempt and years of criticism from President Donald Trump and other Republicans, is striking a confident tone as he seeks a third term as district attorney in the nation's sixth most populous city. Crime rates in Philadelphia - and elsewhere - are dropping as Krasner vows resistance to Trump's aggressive second-term agenda and progressives, reformers and members of the heavily Democratic city's Black political establishment pledge their support.

While some of Krasner's fellow progressives were forced out of office, he sees undemocratic forces behind a push - such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' suspension of two elected prosecutors - that he says often singled out young Black female prosecutors.

"There has been this authoritarian and, to some extent, racist and misogynist effort to get rid of us all," Krasner told The Associated Press.

Krasner, a Democrat, emphasizes the importance of being tough on violent crime. But he also maintains that the progressive movement remains ascendant and influential, despite setbacks for some prosecutors.