Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner says he has made a decision on whether to run for a third term, and that the SEPTA special prosecutor law that he is fighting in court makes him want to remain in the job.
“I can tell you I love my job,” Krasner said in an interview for NBC 10 @issue that aired on Sunday. The full interview is posted on a new episode of Battleground Politics with Lauren Mayk, available on nbc10.com or wherever you get your podcasts.
Krasner said he has made a decision but did not reveal his choice, saying “I’ve made one but, you know, life is unpredictable, things can happen.”
Larry Krasner and Act 40
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In the interview, Krasner discussed his fight against Act 40, a law that provides for a special prosecutor for crimes on SEPTA and that he sued to block.
“The special prosecutor case is a force that is pushing me strongly to stay because there are certain things that cannot be tolerated, and one of them is the erasure of Black and Brown and broke and young votes in a single county, that is discriminatory, that kind of authoritarian bullying of Philadelphia voters makes me want to stay,” Krasner said.
Under the law, Pennsylvania’s Attorney General would appoint the special prosecutor. The AG’s office has posted the job but not yet appointed someone to the position.
In the interview, Krasner criticized the law, which was signed by Governor Josh Shapiro, and the Democrats who supported it.
“It’s time for Democrats to act like Democrats,” Krasner said.
Shapiro has referred to the special prosecutor law as adding law enforcement resources and said he does not see the measure as taking power away from the elected district attorney.
The DA also left open the possibility of taking the issue to federal court.
“We are considering all options,” Krasner said. “I think it’s pretty clear this denies equal protection to voters in Philadelphia, there is an equal protection clause in the United States Constitution so that could be federal court, there is an equal protection aspect to the Pennsylvania constitution so that could be state court. But this is just utterly unacceptable.”
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