Alvin Bragg is well on his way to becoming Manhattan’s first Black district attorney after his opponent concedes her spot in the Democratic primary race.
What We Know:
- Bragg, 47, is a former federal prosecutor and most recently the New York State Chief Deputy Attorney General. While in this position, Bragg supervised both the criminal and social justice divisions. He was a part of the lawsuit against Harvey Weinstein and his company for creating a hostile work environment and sued former President Donald Trump’s administration over 100 times. Bragg’s lawsuit towards the Donald J. Trump Foundation ended up with the foundation ending and Trump having to pay $2 million to various charities.
- The Democratic primary race started off with eight candidates, six being women, one being a Palestinian-American, and another having had clerked for U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. Candidate Tali Farhadian Weinstein was Bragg’s biggest competition, as many related to her immigration story. She raised the most money during the race and campaigned on reform, gun prosecution, and public safety. Weinstein, an Iranian-American, received the support of former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.
- According to the Wall Street Journal, the New York City Board of Elections tallied that Weinstein trailed Bragg by 7,000 votes, with Bragg receiving 34% of in-person votes and Weinstein receiving 30%. There are still close to 27,000 absentee ballots left to count before the Associated Press declares Bragg the winner, however, Weinstein conceded the race on Friday. In a statement, Weinstein showcased her support for Bragg and congratulated him on making history, despite disagreements they had during the campaign.
“This has been a long journey that started in Harlem. And today, that 15-year old boy who was stopped numerous times at gunpoint by the police is the Democratic nominee to be Manhattan District Attorney. We are one step closer to making history and transforming the District Attorney’s office to deliver safety and justice for all,” said Bragg.
- Bragg currently represents the mother of Eric Garner, an unarmed Black man killed from a police chokehold for allegedly selling cigarettes, in a judicial inquiry. Throughout the campaign, he has maintained his commitment to fighting against racial disparities and mass incarceration in the U.S. Bragg also stated that he will not prosecute people for low-level crimes, an idea that his Republican opponent Thomas Kenniff, is against. Kenniff is a former prosecutor and war veteran, who believes the district attorney should be someone who is focused on law and order and can’t wait for voters to learn about his “public safety-first platform.”
- The new district attorney will take over the investigation into the Trump Organization for committing bank, tax, and insurance fraud. Chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, along with the Trump Organization, pled not guilty during arraignment on Thursday. Trump Payroll Corporation has been charged with 10 counts and Weisselberg with 15 felony counts for schemes to “defraud, conspiracy, criminal tax fraud, falsifying business records, and grand larceny.” Trump maintains his innocence and believes this is a witch hunt being pushed by the left.
The winner of this race will take over for three-time position holder, Cyrus Vance Jr., who decided not to run for a fourth term. Bragg is favored to win since a Democrat has held this position for the past 45 years and due to his connection to the challenges POC have with law enforcement. The Manhattan district attorney election will take place on November 2nd.
