What to Know
- The heavily Democratic cities of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh will elect new nominees for top jobs in Pennsylvania’s primary election.
- The winners of those two Democratic primaries on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, are all-but assured of victory in November’s general election.
- In Philadelphia, District Attorney Larry Krasner is seeking a third term as the top prosecutor in the nation’s sixth most populous city. Krasner’s opponent is Pat Dugan, a former Philadelphia Municipal Court judge.
- Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey is seeking a second term. Both ran originally as progressives and are facing a primary challenger. Gainey’s opponent is Allegheny County Controller Corey O’Connor.
- Ballots will also feature contests for two statewide courts seats.
The 2025 primary election in Pennsylvania is on Tuesday, May 20.
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WATCH HEREWith Republicans and Democrats picking candidates for local offices and statewide courts, voters will need to check their registration status and familiarize themselves with the issues.
These are the races to watch in the Keystone State:
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SIGN UP When's the 2025 Pennsylvania Primary?
Polls for the Tuesday, May 20, primary election in Pennsylvania are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Check your voter registration and find out where you can cast your vote.
Pennsylvania doesn't have open primaries, so you must be registered to the party which you would like to pick a candidate for. The closed primary means Democrats can't vote in Republican primaries and vice versa and independents can vote in primaries for either major party.
All voters, however can vote on ballot questions, constitutional amendments and any special elections that may be on the ballot.
The last day to register to vote or switch parties was Monday, May 5, 2025.
Click here for details on getting registered to vote in Pennsylvania ahead of the November general election.
What are some of the issues and races to watch for in the Pennsylvania Primary?
Philadelphia DA race
The biggest race to watch in Philadelphia is the Democratic battle for district attorney as former judge Pat Dugan looks to take down two-term DA Larry Krasner. No Republican DA candidate is listed on the ballot.
Krasner is seeking a third term as district attorney of the nation’s sixth-most populous city.
Krasner is running again after withstanding an impeachment attempt by Republican state lawmakers and years of being a campaign trail punching bag for Trump.
Krasner has the benefit of crime rates falling in big US cities, including Philadelphia, after they rose sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Krasner’s primary opponent is Dugan, a U.S. Army veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and was the head administrative judge of the Philadelphia Municipal Court before he resigned to run.
Dugan has aimed to make the race about Krasner’s crime-fighting policies — he calls Krasner “Let ’em Go Larry” — and accused the incumbent of staffing the district attorneys’ office with ill-prepared and inexperienced lawyers.
Krasner originally ran in 2017 on a progressive platform that included holding police accountable and opposing the death penalty, cash bail, prosecuting minor nonviolent offenses and a culture of mass-incarceration.
Like some big-city Democrats, Krasner has turned toward pro-public safety messaging, maintaining that he is serious about pursuing violent crime and touting new technologies and strategies that his office is using to solve or prevent crime.
Krasner has repeatedly invoked Republican President Donald Trump and suggested that he is the best candidate to stand up to him. In a TV ad, he cast himself as the foil to “Trump and his billionaire buddies, the shooting groups and gun lobby, the old system that denied people justice for too long. They can come for Philly, but I’m not backing down.”
Dugan has invoked Trump, too, saying in a TV ad that Philadelphia faces the threats of crime, injustice and a “president bent on destruction.” He also accuses Krasner of failing to deliver “real reform or make us safe. Now he wants us to believe he can take on Trump? Get real.”
Also in Philadelphia, voters can vote on three ballot questions looking to change the city's charter to deal with homelessness, the Housing Trust and and police oversight board.
Pittsburgh mayor's race
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey, the city’s first Black mayor, is seeking a second term.
Gainey and Allegheny County Controller Corey O’Connor — the son of a former Pittsburgh mayor — are jousting over affordable housing policy, homelessness, public safety and revitalizing downtown in a city that is trying to grow after recovering from the devasting collapse of its steel industry.
Gainey, who grew up in subsidized housing, has portrayed himself as the mayor who sides with regular people and as a “mayor that’s going to fight for you” when the Trump administration threatens the city. He also touted the city’s strong economy under his watch.
O’Connor won the local party’s endorsement over Gainey. He criticized Gainey’s management of the city, saying Gainey was reckless with city finances, lacked vision to bring businesses back to downtown and fell badly short in expanding affordable housing. He also said people didn’t feel safe in Pittsburgh.
On the Republican ballot are Thomas West and Tony Moreno. Pittsburgh has not elected a Republican as mayor in nearly a century.
Statewide court races
Two statewide court seats are opening up, one on the Commonwealth Court and one on the Superior Court.
Democrats don’t have a primary in either contest, with Washington County Judge Brandon Neuman running uncontested for Superior Court and Philadelphia Judge Stella Tsai running uncontested for Commonwealth Court.
On the Republican ticket, the Superior Court contest features Clarion County lawyer Maria Battista and Chester County Judge Ann Marie Wheatcraft. The Commonwealth Court contest features Matt Wolford of Erie County, a former state and federal prosecutor, and Josh Prince of Berks County, a prominent gun rights lawyer.
The 15-member Superior Court hears appeals of civil and criminal cases from county courts. The nine-seat Commonwealth Court hears challenges or appeals from county courts in cases involving laws or government actions. Judges are elected to 10-year terms.
You can check out your county's election site to see what races such as school boards will be decided on May 20, 2025.
Want to vote by mail in the May 20, 2025 primary election?
"In Pennsylvania, registered voters can request either a no-excuse mail-in ballot or an absentee ballot," Pa.gov says.
You don't need to explain why you want a mail-in ballot, state election officials say.
An absentee ballot on the other hand is for people who are out of the municipality of have a disability or illness that prevents them from getting to their polling place on election day.
Your county election office must have gotten your mail-in or absentee ballot request by May 13, 2025, election officials say. The ballot must then be completed and received by your county office by 8 p.m. on May 20.
Click here to get a mail-in or absentee ballot for future elections.
If something comes up, voters can apply for an emergency absentee ballot after May 13, but there is a process for that.
Correction (May 20, 2025, 9:28 a.m.): This story has been updated to properly reflect Pat Dugan's first name.
