Andrew Trunsky
Political Reporter
May 19, 2021 11:12 AM ET
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Progressive candidates were victorious in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh’s Democratic primaries Tuesday night, winning races by wide margins after a yearlong surge in violent crime.
In Philadelphia, progressive District Attorney Larry Krasner cruised to a second term, beating moderate, police-backed primary challenger Carlos Vega by 30 points, even as multiple reports pointed to a potentially close race. In Pittsburgh, progressive state Rep. Ed Gainey ousted incumbent Mayor Bill Peduto by approximately seven points, making him poised to be the first black mayor in the city’s history.
Krasner, who was first elected in 2017 on a platform of criminal justice reform, told supporters Tuesday that he had kept his promises to focus on crime within the city.
“This time, they put us back in office for what we have done,” he said, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. “Not ideas. Not promises, but realities.”
His reelection, however, was tested by Philadelphia’s spike in shootings throughout 2020. The city suffered over 2,200 shootings last year, nearly 500 of which were fatal.
The city also suffered a series of riots in late October after police fatally shot a black man yielding a knife, resulting in the deployment of the National Guard.
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https://dailycaller.com/2021/05/19/surge-violent-crime-progressives-win-big-philadelphia-pittsburgh/
