It’s a sign of a healthy democracy when rival candidates for office can exchange ideas in a public forum. But nowadays’ political debates are a far cry from Lincoln-Douglas.
This year’s race for Philadelphia District Attorney has unfortunately followed that pattern, despite the serious questions about public safety that exist in the city. Only two Democrats (and zero Republicans) are on the ballot for the May 20 primary: incumbent Larry Krasner and retired Municipal Court Judge Pat Dugan.
In March, their first joint appearance was a fiery debate in West Philadelphia that featured Krasner erroneously accusing the challenger of being a closet conservative (and perhaps, Trumper), and Dugan lobbing threats at the incumbent: “Don’t put my wife’s name in your mouth, young man.”
The theatrics were largely absent — by design — on Tuesday night, when The Citizen hosted Ultimate Job Interview (UJI): District Attorney edition. We launched the job interview-format series in 2023 as a way of rising above the limitations (and present-day pettiness) of candidate debates. The Citizen’s Ultimate Job Interview offers a more meaningful format for voter education by interviewing the candidates one-by-one, rather than side-by-side, in front of a panel of people with expertise in both government and hiring.
For this iteration of the event, our interview panel consisted of Marcel Pratt, former City Solicitor and current managing partner at Ballard Spahr; Alexandria MacMaster, former Montgomery County Assistant District Attorney and current partner at Laffey Bucci D’Andrea Reich & Ryan; and Christie Ileto of 6abc Action News.
There was a second reason for lack of tension in the room: DA Krasner declined to show up. This absence earned Krasner the dubious distinction of being the first candidate to outright decline an invitation to UJI. (The invitation still stands if Krasner is able to make it on another night.)
Still, for the roughly 75 attendees in the Fitler Club ballroom, the night was a chance to find out more about the lesser-known challenger, a military veteran from Northeast Philly whom Governor Ed Rendell appointed to the bench in 2007. In 2019, Dugan’s peers elected him President Judge.
DA Krasner has come under criticism for “nationalizing” the local race at times, or, as Citizen Co-founder Larry Platt recently put it, making “the election about Trump rather than his own record.” On the other hand, Dugan has been eager to frame the race as a referendum on Krasner.
Tuesday night was a chance to fill in some gaps about how Dugan sees himself as a leader, his views on law and order, and more. Here are a few highlights from his job interview:
On Dugan’s leadership style vis-a-vis Krasner:
Dugan remained critical of Krasner’s perceived lack of collaboration as a leader, saying, “Larry doesn’t play well in the sandbox.” Dugan, who says that he never feels like he’s the “smartest person in the room,” insisted that any “good general” also needs “good lieutenants, and good privates.” To that end, he wants to put more emphasis on finding young ADAs from local law schools, rather than transplants from elite out-of-state schools.
Why he believes the Office of the Victim Advocate, founded in 2022 after a successful ballot measure, is not only important — but also, a reflection of shortcomings under Krasner’s watch:
“The victims’ advocates are some of the most important people in the criminal justice system. Time and time again, I saw victims not coming to court, at a very high rate. It’s very important that we have that cooperation. If we’re not connecting with our victims, then the criminal justice system is not being run fairly. If nobody is calling you up to tell you that the case for the person who’s accused of murdering your loved one is up next week, we’re failing the system.”
On how he’d defend Philadelphia’s status as a “sanctuary city:”
When asked if he would cooperate with the federal office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Dugan responded that “it’s a resounding No.” He said that it’s ultimately Mayor Parker’s policy, and that he’d defend it. “When someone is arrested and there are issues with whether or not they have the proper documentation, that should happen before they come into the court system. Would I cooperate with ICE. as much as I could? No. I believe that sanctuary cities are the American way.”
Why he’s decided to run for office again, after failing to win a seat on the Pennsylvania Superior Court last year:
“For the last seven years, what I’ve seen appalled me so much. The withdrawal rate, the lack of preparation, the lack of training, the low communication rates, not communicating with witnesses … [Krasner’s] own ADAs have written articles about how the office is an echo chamber: There’s no training; there’s no mentorship. As the judge, we’re supposed to be the referee, but when one side has no idea what they’re doing, that’s why people aren’t getting a fair [shot in court]; not just the victims, but the defendants.”
What the projected less-than-20 percent turnout means to the DA’s race:
“There’s only been a small percentage of people in the history of the world who’ve had the opportunity to vote. It’s appalling that here, in the U.S.A., too many people stay home. If you don’t feel safe in the city of Philadelphia, you must come out and vote. We get 18 percent turnout among 1.5 million people. If you really care about safety, your family, the kids going to the playground, you must come out and vote. If you’re not happen, you don’t feel safe. I’m asking you to come out and vote.”
Watch the full forum here:
Photos from the evening:
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