Manhattan District Legal professional Alvin Bragg (l.) is dealing with a problem within the November normal election from impartial candidate Diana Florence (c.) and Republican nominee Maud Maron.
Images by Max Parrott and supplied by Florence and Maron campaigns
Whereas most Manhattanites are targeted on the mayoral race this November, they will even get to resolve whether or not to re-elect incumbent Manhattan District Legal professional Alvin Bragg or substitute him with considered one of two candidates difficult him for the important thing legislation enforcement submit.
Bragg, the Democratic and Working Households Social gathering nominee, is up in opposition to Safer Manhattan Social gathering nominee and veteran prosecutor Diana Florence and public defender and Republican/Conservative nominee Maud Maron.
Bragg took workplace on Jan. 1, 2022, because the thirty seventh Manhattan District Legal professional and first Black particular person elected to the submit. In June of this yr, he handily gained the Democratic main, defeating Patrick Timmins, a litigator, legislation professor and former Bronx assistant district legal professional.
The incumbent chief prosecutor of Manhattan leads a staff of about 600 attorneys and is the frontrunner with a protracted checklist of endorsements, though he additionally faces robust criticism, normally from the far proper.
Bragg prosecuted Donald Trump for a $130,000 cost to Stormy Daniels, which Trump’s firm listed as a authorized expense. A jury discovered Trump responsible of 33 felony counts of falsifying enterprise information, although his sentencing was indefinitely suspended after Trump was re-elected president final November.
In 2022, Bragg additionally issued a memo instructing staffers to not prosecute sure sorts of circumstances or search bail or jail time in others, with a concentrate on violent crime, which led to some criticism of being gentle on crime general. He has supported closing Rikers Island in addition to an added concentrate on psychological well being.
A local of Harlem, Bragg created the workplace’s first Particular Victims Division, Employee Safety Unit and Housing and Tenant Safety Unit, whereas increasing the Hate Crimes Unit. He additionally created a Publish-Conviction Justice Unit to reinvestigate closed circumstances the place there are “credible claims of innocence or unjust conviction.”
Previous to being Manhattan DA, Bragg labored as a legislation professor, New York State chief deputy legal professional normal and an assistant U.S. legal professional for the Southern District of New York. He acquired a bachelor’s diploma in authorities from Harvard Faculty and a legislation diploma from Harvard Regulation College, served as professor on the New York Regulation College and in 2017-2018 was New York State chief deputy legal professional normal.
Maron, in the meantime, grew to become the Republican and Conservative nominees with no problem. Her main declare to fame, nevertheless, was her time as a member of Manhattan’s Neighborhood Training Council District 2, the place in 2024, she helped cross a decision difficult the town Division of Training coverage defending the best of transgender college students to take part in sports activities in line with their gender id. The decision drew public rebuke from native elected officers and was ultimately rescinded.
“I’m running for District Attorney because I believe everyone deserves to live and work in a safe, fair, and vibrant community,” Maron stated.
The Republican nominee seeks necessary inpatient therapy for the mentally unwell on the streets and helps preserving “jails out of our neighborhoods” by preserving Rikers Island open, opposing the town’s mandate to shut the jail facility in 2027 and substitute it with community-based establishments.
She additionally needs to raised examine fraud and corruption in authorities companies and contracts.
Born in Manhattan, Maron graduated from Barnard Faculty in 1993 and earned a J.D. from Benjamin N. Cardozo College of Regulation, Yeshiva College in 1998. A longtime legal professional with the Authorized Assist Society, she served as a public defender in Manhattan and the Bronx, representing shoppers in misdemeanor and felony circumstances, for over 20 years. As a Senior Trial Legal professional and Director of Coaching on the Authorized Assist Society, she additionally mentored younger legal professionals.
Florence, in the meantime, is a long-time resident of Kips Bay who began her profession 30 years in the past within the Manhattan District Legal professional’s Workplace, after receiving her BA with honors and Phi Beta Kappa and legislation diploma from the College of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
As a prosecutor, she has targeted largely on road crime, home violence, advanced frauds, and corruption circumstances, creating and main the nation’s first Development Fraud Job Drive.
She is fluent in Spanish, taught trial advocacy for over 20 years to legal professionals within the DA’s Workplace, and ran for Manhattan District Legal professional in 2021, with the assist of 20 labor unions.
Florence has dubbed her marketing campaign the “Safer Manhattan” initiative, opposing the downgrading of many quality-of-life crimes.
“Manhattan deserves a DA who will take decisive action to restore order and fairness,” Florence stated when she introduced her candidacy in Foley Sq..
She is asking for “ending downgrading” of quality-of-life crimes like shoplifting, vandalism, and trespassing; focusing on retail theft rings and serial shoplifters and defending employees, by prosecuting wage theft and unsafe job circumstances to “ensure justice for working people.”
Early voting within the 2025 normal election begins on Saturday, Oct. 25. The election itself will happen on Tuesday, Nov. 4.
