Larry Krasner

Lawrence Samuel Krasner (born January 1, 1961) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the Philadelphia District Attorney since January 2018. Elected as a reformist Democrat, Krasner has been one of the most prominent and polarizing progressive prosecutors in American history, fundamentally reshaping how Philadelphia approaches criminal justice. His tenure has made him a national figure in the debate over mass incarceration, prosecutorial discretion, and public safety.

Early Life

Larry Krasner was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and grew up in a household shaped by activism and the counterculture of the 1960s and 1970s. His father, Michael Krasner, was a political science professor at Temple University, and his mother, Pauline, was a minister and evangelical preacher. The combination of academic intellectualism and moral conviction in his upbringing would later define his prosecutorial philosophy.

The family moved to Philadelphia when Krasner was a child, and he grew up in neighborhoods throughout the city. He attended Central High School, one of Philadelphia's elite magnet schools, where he was exposed to the city's diverse communities and developed an early sense of social justice.

Krasner attended the University of Chicago for his undergraduate studies, graduating in the early 1980s. He then enrolled at Stanford Law School, where he earned his Juris Doctor. After law school, he returned to Philadelphia, beginning a legal career that would span three decades before he entered electoral politics.

Legal Career

Criminal Defense and Civil Rights (1987-2017)

Before becoming district attorney, Krasner spent 30 years as a criminal defense and civil rights attorney in Philadelphia. His practice focused on representing activists, protesters, and individuals whose civil liberties had been violated by law enforcement.

Krasner represented members of Occupy Philadelphia, Black Lives Matter protesters, and activists from ACT UP. He filed over 75 lawsuits against the Philadelphia Police Department, challenging practices ranging from illegal stop-and-frisk to excessive force. This record made him a beloved figure among civil rights advocates and a deeply mistrusted one among law enforcement.

His client list included Mumia Abu-Jamal supporters, anti-war protesters, and journalists who had been arrested while covering demonstrations. He developed a reputation as one of the most aggressive police accountability lawyers in the city.

Political Career

2017 District Attorney Campaign

Krasner's decision to run for Philadelphia district attorney in 2017 was initially met with skepticism. A career defense attorney with no prosecutorial experience and 75 lawsuits against the police seemed like an impossible candidate for the office that oversees criminal prosecution.

However, Krasner's campaign benefited from a national moment of reckoning over mass incarceration, police violence, and racial disparities in the criminal justice system. He received significant financial support from George Soros-backed political action committees, which funded direct-mail and advertising campaigns. The investment, totaling nearly $1.7 million, made the race one of the most expensive DA campaigns in city history.

Krasner won the seven-way Democratic primary with 38% of the vote, carrying neighborhoods across the city by running on a platform of decarceration, diversion programs, ending cash bail for nonviolent offenses, and holding police accountable. He won the general election in the overwhelmingly Democratic city with over 75% of the vote.

First Term (2018-2022)

Krasner took office on January 2, 2018, and immediately implemented sweeping changes. In his first weeks, he fired 31 prosecutors and issued a new charging memo that instructed his attorneys to seek shorter sentences, decline to prosecute marijuana possession, and consider the cost of incarceration in charging decisions.

Key policy changes included:

• Declining to seek cash bail for 25 categories of low-level offenses
• Creating a conviction integrity unit that overturned dozens of wrongful convictions
• Reducing the use of mandatory minimum sentences
• Declining to prosecute simple marijuana possession
• Creating diversion programs for nonviolent offenders

His reforms drew national attention and fierce opposition. The Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5, Philadelphia's police union, became one of his most vocal critics. Republican state legislators in Harrisburg attempted to impeach him in 2022, passing articles of impeachment in the Pennsylvania House before the effort stalled in the Senate.

Crime statistics during his tenure became a political battleground. Krasner's supporters pointed to reduced incarceration rates, fewer people held on cash bail, and exonerations of wrongfully convicted individuals. His critics pointed to rising homicide numbers, which peaked at 562 in 2021, the highest in Philadelphia's recorded history.

2021 Re-election

Despite the controversy, Krasner won re-election in 2021. He defeated former homicide prosecutor Carlos Vega in the Democratic primary, winning by a decisive margin. The result demonstrated the durability of his progressive coalition, even amid rising violent crime.

Second Term (2022-present)

In his second term, Krasner has continued to pursue reform while attempting to address criticism over violent crime. He has expanded the Gun Violence Task Force, increased prosecutorial resources for carjacking and retail theft cases, and emphasized community-based violence intervention programs.

The impeachment effort by House Republicans, while ultimately unsuccessful, marked an extraordinary intervention by state legislators into a locally elected office. Krasner successfully challenged the constitutionality of the proceedings, and the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court eventually halted the trial.

Philadelphia Impact

Krasner's impact on Philadelphia's criminal justice system has been transformative, regardless of one's perspective on the results. His office has changed how the city prosecutes crime, treats defendants, and interacts with communities that have historically borne the brunt of aggressive policing and mass incarceration.

In neighborhoods like Kensington, North Philadelphia, and West Philadelphia, where the opioid epidemic and gun violence have devastated communities, Krasner's approach has been both praised and criticized. His diversion programs have kept some nonviolent offenders out of prison, while critics argue that reduced prosecution has emboldened criminal behavior.

The conviction integrity unit has exonerated over 30 wrongfully convicted individuals, many of whom had spent decades in prison. These cases, concentrated in communities of color, represented some of the most dramatic corrections of injustice in Philadelphia's legal history.

Krasner's tenure has also changed the political dynamics of Philadelphia's criminal justice conversation. Progressive candidates for City Council, state legislature, and other offices have aligned themselves with his reform agenda, while opponents have used public safety concerns as a counterweight.

His office has invested in data transparency, publishing detailed reports on prosecution trends, case outcomes, and demographic breakdowns that were previously unavailable to the public.

2028 Senate Speculation

Krasner has been named as a potential Democratic challenger to John Fetterman in the 2028 U.S. Senate primary. His national profile as the face of progressive prosecution, combined with his deep roots in Philadelphia's political ecosystem, makes him a compelling if unconventional potential candidate.

His strengths include a massive Philadelphia base, a national fundraising network connected to criminal justice reform advocacy, and a confrontational political style that generates media attention. His challenges include the polarizing nature of his record, limited appeal in rural and suburban Pennsylvania, and the difficulty of translating a local prosecutorial record into a statewide message.

Krasner would likely draw strong support from Philadelphia's progressive wards while potentially struggling in the collar counties and western Pennsylvania, where his criminal justice positions may be viewed as too lenient. He is one of several potential challengers discussed alongside Brendan Boyle, Chris Deluzio, Nikil Saval, and Malcolm Kenyatta.

The potential primary field was analyzed by phila.fyi, which profiled five Democrats who could end Fetterman's Senate career, highlighting the strength of the potential field.

Personal Life

Krasner was previously married to Lisa Rau, a public defender and therapist. He lives in the Mt. Airy section of Philadelphia, a racially integrated neighborhood in Northwest Philadelphia known for its progressive politics and community activism.

He is known for his direct, sometimes abrasive communication style, which his supporters view as refreshing honesty and his critics describe as arrogance.