Election 2025 updates: Krasner wins Democratic primary race for Philly DA; full race results

Democratic primary voters could choose between Pat Dugan and Larry Krasner for Philadelphia’s district attorney race. For the Republican primary, there were no candidates, but that didn’t stop more than 6,600 Republican voters in the city from writing in a candidate.

It’s likely that many of them wrote in the name of the loser of the Democratic primary, former judge Pat Dugan. That’s because city GOP leaders made a dedicated effort to make Dugan eligible for a rematch in November. If 1,000 voters cast write-in votes for Dugan, he could run as a Republican this fall.

GOP leaders are confident their plan was a success. Vince Fenerty said the results far surpassed expectations.

“It’s something to be very proud of in a primary election. This was a very, very low turnout, and our Republican voters could see that this was an alternative way to help get rid of Larry Krasner,” he told WHYY News.

Fenerty said the technique has been used successfully in the past in Pennsylvania. Current Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zapalla lost the 2023 Democratic primary, but got nearly 10,000 write-in votes on the GOP ticket.

“District Attorney Zappala of Allegheny County did lose the primary,” Fenerty said. “He was nominated by the Republicans, came back and beat the gentleman in November who beat him in the primary, and Steve is still the district attorney of Allegheny County.”

» READ MORE: Despite losing primary, Pat Dugan could challenge Larry Krasner as a Republican in November

Abington Township and Borough of Rockledge voters on Tuesday passed a bond referendum,  authorizing  $285 million for Abington School District to build a new middle school.

Unofficial election results with all precincts reporting show it was a close race. The referendum passed with just 8,941 “yes” votes, compared to 8,556 “no” votes.

According to the district’s district’s website, the new facility will be “purposefully designed to meet modern education and student needs, improve accessibility, foster community and positive school culture, and provide the best long-term value for our community.”

Features include purposeful design, “future-ready” classrooms, energy efficiency and modern security.

Per the district, property taxes will incrementally increase over the course of the project starting in July 2026. The proposal is expected to increase taxes by up to $54 on a median homestead value of $387,402.

The school board of directors voted in January to put the referendum on the ballot after a multi-year planning process.

Once approved, the district has said the design process for the school would begin in June. Construction on the project is slated to begin in 2027, with a move-in happening as early as the 2029-2030 school year.

Challenger Corey O’Connor ousted Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey in Tuesday’s Democratic primary election, beating an incumbent in a race that hinged on how Gainey was handling city finances, affordable housing and public safety.

O’Connor is all but assured of winning November’s general election against a low-profile Republican nominee in a city that hasn’t elected a Republican mayor in nearly a century.

O’Connor, the Allegheny County controller, is all but assured of winning November’s general election against a low-profile Republican nominee in a city that hasn’t elected a Republican mayor in nearly a century.

The race for Pittsburgh mayor hinged on local issues, driven by unhappiness in some quarters with Gainey’s management, rather than national political issues dividing the Democratic Party.

The victory on the other side of the state by progressive stalwart Larry Krasner in the party’s primary for Philadelphia district attorney was driven by nationalized themes of criminal justice reform and Krasner’s bravado in positioning himself as a guardian of the city against President Donald Trump’s conservative agenda.

O’Connor is the son of a former Pittsburgh mayor and had won the local party’s endorsement over Gainey, who had allied himself with the Democratic Party’s progressive wing.

Gainey — the city’s first Black mayor, who grew up in subsidized housing — beat his predecessor in 2021’s primary campaign.

He had 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.

O’Connor criticized Gainey’s management of the city, saying Gainey was reckless with city finances, fell badly short in expanding affordable housing and lacked vision to bring businesses back to downtown after the COVID-19 pandemic and the devastating collapse of the hometown steel industry.

He also said people didn’t feel safe in Pittsburgh and that city vehicles — including snow plows and ambulances — were breaking down at critical times.

Gainey touted the city’s strong economy under his watch and contended that he had held the line against tax increases, been saddled with the mistakes of prior administrations and had overseen dropping crime rates in the city.

O’Connor benefited from support from builders and developers amid friction over Gainey’s affordable housing plan, and O’Connor’s campaign and allied groups outspent Gainey’s side, which had support from the liberal Working Families Party and Service Employees International Union.

Still, unions were divided in the race, and affordable housing groups had criticized Gainey’s efforts as badly inadequate. O’Connor, meanwhile, characterized the city under Gainey as headed for a “financial crisis” that threatened quality of life and public safety, a crisis that O’Connor confidently said he could fix.

Gainey, he said, was leading the city “down a path of managing our decline.”

“That financial crisis is going to impact each and every one of us, each and every day,” O’Connor said during a televised May 8 debate. “It’s going to stop our ability to fill in your potholes. It’s going to stop our ability to buy new ambulances and equipment for public safety to keep you safe.”

Erica Deuso defeated Barry Cassidy in Downingtown’s Democratic mayoral primary, according to unofficial results. Deuso will square off against Republican Richard Bryant in the general election.

If elected, she would become the first openly transgender mayor in Pennsylvania.

“We’re going to keep Downingtown safe, sustainable and strong,” Deuso said Tuesday evening.

Deuso received the local Democratic Party’s endorsement after sitting Mayor Phil Dague declined a bid for a second term. Cassidy did not respond to form submission requests via his website.

Deuso said her campaign centers on continuing Downingtown’s “good neighbor traditions.” She expressed her desire to combat teen suicide, curb domestic violence and highlight the lack of sustainable housing options for buyers and renters.

Bryant, a retired cybersecurity expert, is focusing his campaign on combating “overdevelopment,” implementing flooding solutions and strengthening public safety. In his first 100 days, he wants to establish a small business advisory council and fast-track permits.

Bryant did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding his background and bid for mayor.

» READ MORE: Erica Deuso wins Downingtown’s Democratic mayoral primary, will face Republican Richard Bryant

How does a candidate concede without conceding? Pat Dugan danced around the topic late Tuesday, even before Philadelphia’s Democratic primary race for district attorney had been officially called for Larry Krasner at 9:45 p.m. by the Associated Press.

“We worked tremendously hard for the last five months. I believe we didn’t leave a stone unturned. And the reason why we didn’t is because I believe in the city of Philadelphia,” Dugan told reporters and supporters at Sprinkler Fitters’ Local 692 in far Northeast Philly.

“I believe that the city has to be much safer than it has been. I care about the city as a lifelong Philadelphian,” he said. “I think we ran a hell of a campaign.”

Dugan did not say the race is over, and continued to mingle with his supporters as the results came in.

“The numbers will be coming in, trickling in in the next couple [of] hours, but I feel the vibe on the street. We shall see in a very near future how this turns out. I feel confident that we did everything we possibly could to bring a new vision to the District Attorney’s Office of Philadelphia.”

One number that people are watching is the number of Republican write-ins. As of 9:45 p.m. Tuesday, they were at over 1,500 write-in votes in the Republican primary. If 1,000 write-ins are certified for Dugan, it could give the lifelong Democrat a second chance to face off against Krasner on the ballot in November as a Republican.

Sources close to the campaign would not officially comment on if the former Municipal Court judge would run on the GOP ticket.

Incumbent Larry Krasner prevailed in the Democratic primary for Philadelphia district attorney over his challenger, former municipal judge Patrick Dugan, today, likely securing a third term in the DA’s office.

Krasner first ran in 2017 as a self-proclaimed progressive reformer. As DA, he introduced several controversial policies, including dropping prosecutions for marijuana possession, effectively eliminating cash bail for misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies and reducing prison sentences. His office has also aggressively prosecuted police for misconduct.

Dugan ran as a moderate law and order candidate, criticizing Krasner for prosecutorial policies he blamed for high crime rates.

With no Republican candidate in the general election, Krasner’s victory essentially guarantees he will remain at the helm of Philadelphia’s top prosecutorial office.

» READ MORE: Larry Krasner wins Philly DA primary, beating challenger who eclipsed him in campaign contributions and endorsements

Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt announced that the state’s municipal primary elections proceeded without major disruptions, with only minor and isolated issues reported across the state’s 67 counties.

Schmidt praised the efforts of county election officials and the approximately 45,000 poll workers who staffed over 9,000 precincts.

“Because of them, Pennsylvanians were able to securely cast their vote,” he said in a statement.

Roughly 800,000 mail ballots were sent to registered voters. While final turnout numbers will be available in the coming days, early indicators suggest participation was in line with typical municipal primaries.

The commonwealth’s voter hotline received about 500 calls throughout the day — slightly fewer than during the 2023 primary. Most inquiries related to voter registration, polling locations and mail ballots.

Polls have closed in Pennsylvania’s 2025 primary election.

Voters weighed in on races for Philadelphia’s Democratic district attorney nomination, statewide contests for intermediate appellate courts and beyond.

Follow along as WHYY News tracks primary election results this evening: Philadelphia | Pennsylvania

Voter turnout appears light this off-year primary Election Day, but those making their way out to the polls say they were motivated by the race for the Democratic nomination for district attorney.

Dani Thomas, who just voted at the Old First Reformist Church in Old City, told WHYY News that he voted for Larry Krasner because he appreciates that the incumbent DA is standing up to President Donald Trump.

“I just think that having a district attorney that’s willing to be a heat shield for the people is a good thing,” Thomas said. “And if you’ve got a person that’s gonna fight legally, tooth and nail, things that seem to go against the Constitution or go against the way we were planning for this country to go, I’m all for that guy.”

That’s a sentiment shared by Becky Maule.

“I feel like he’s been doing a good job, and I do like that he has stood up to different people and said how won’t take their crap,” she said. “I appreciate that he has the nerve to do that.”

Krasner’s opponent, former municipal judge Patrick Dugan, has criticized Krasner’s prosecutorial policies he blames for high crime rates. Thomas said he believes Krasner has taken a more just approach to mass incarceration, and that’s why he voted for him in the last two elections.

“If you talk about Lynn Abraham and a lot of other DAs in the past, it was always ‘tough on crime, tough on crime, tough on crime,’” he said. Krasner “looked at it in a more logical way. Like, wait a minute, what things are worth being thrown away for? Maybe we put you in a rehabilitation center. Maybe we find a way to mitigate this as opposed to just throwing whole people in prisons that are definitely overpopulated.”

It may be primary day in an off-year election, but the 2028 presidential election cycle appears to have already begun for the nation’s biggest swing state.

On Sunday, U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., visited Bucks County ostensibly to motivate the resistance against President Donald Trump and reconnect with some of his high school teachers.

However, Khanna has been on a national tour, making stops in the commonwealth, Ohio and New Jersey, “leaving little doubt that he is laying the groundwork for a White House run,” according to some politicos.

Khanna, of course, denies it, and told WHYY News that he was focused on helping Democrats flip red districts during the 2026 midterms.

“We have already a number of great candidates for 2028 that’ll emerge, but right now the focus has to be to take back the House in terms of political priority,” he said.

But then there was another visit earlier this month by another widely discussed 2028 potential candidate — Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz. Like Khanna, he also visited Bucks County, a well-known bellwether district that Josh Shapiro has called “the swingiest of all swing counties of all swing states.”

Gallego also denied he was there in connection to 2028.

“Of course, I’ve thought about it,” he said, but added that he is a “new senator” and busy being a father with a third child on the way.”

“I don’t want to get divorced,” he quipped. “I love my job, and I need to make sure I do both jobs well.”

Pennsylvania’s 19 electoral votes made it the most important swing state in the 2024 presidential election, but with 187 delegates, it was also a key state in the Democratic primary.

Independent and unaffiliated voters in Pennsylvania continue to protest the state’s primary laws — saying the state’s voting laws exclude them unfairly from primary elections. On Tuesday morning, a small group gathered to march around Center City.

Pennsylvania is one of nine states that prohibit independent and unaffiliated voters from participating in primary elections — what’s known as “closed primaries.”

This issue is “far-reaching,” said David Thornburgh, the chair of the Ballot PA Campaign to End Closed Primaries, after the march ended on South Broad Street, not far from the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts.

“There are 1.4 million independent voters in Pennsylvania that cannot participate in these elections, and we think that’s unfair, and it’s wrong and damaging to the process,” he said.

Thornburgh emphasized being able to vote in local elections is crucial — as these elected offices determine how basic services are provided to the community. In Philadelphia, many elected offices are not contested by both parties, so primary elections are essentially choosing the winner of the general election.

“Folks are voting for local offices, like district attorney, controller and local judges,” he said. “This isn’t ‘50,000-foot’ presidential or gubernatorial elections. These are folks that really influence the quality of life and the value of this city and the fact that 150,000 tax-paying, independent voters [in Philadelphia] can’t participate in that process, it’s just shameful.”

These laws can be unfair to groups like veterans, where there are large numbers of independent voters, said Dennis Miller, the lead for Pennsylvania Veterans for All Voters.

“If I’m good enough to serve my country, I should be able to vote whenever they open the polls,” he said.

It’s Primary Day in Pennsylvania, and almost 1.4 million independent/unaffiliated voters can’t vote. Our volunteers are out in the streets making it known!

Help us spread the word and make all voices heard: https://t.co/s4wmyJwSJg #LetAllVotersVote #PAPrimary pic.twitter.com/0bTJN4Uzwi

— Veterans for All Voters (@OperationVAV) May 20, 2025

» READ MORE: Independent voters rally for open primaries on Election Day

In Philadelphia’s suburbs, there aren’t many flashy countywide races in the 2025 primary election. But, a few candidates in smaller municipal races are on the verge of making history.

Joi Washington could become Media Borough’s first woman mayor. Erica Deuso could become Downingtown’s first transgender mayor — and the first openly transgender mayor in Pennsylvania. And Madison Pease could join the ranks of the youngest school board members in Pennsylvania.

Pease, 19, graduated from Hatboro-Horsham High School in 2023. A sense of duty to ensure students don’t feel helpless has inspired her to run for the school board, she said.

Pease said she almost didn’t vote in the 2024 presidential election. Almost.

“I want to prevent that and make sure that the kids know that it’s good to get involved in the community and that they are heard and that their choices matter because they’re going to shape our future,” Pease said.

Five positions are up for grabs on the nine-member Hatboro-Horsham School Board. Pease is running on the Democratic ticket alongside four other candidates, meaning she is certain to make it past the primary on May 20.

» READ MORE: Philadelphia suburbs could make history this election

At least 1,200 Philadelphia voters are at risk of not having their mail ballots counted, according to the Philadelphia Board of Elections.

A variety of issues can lead to a flawed mail ballot, including:

• No signature on the exterior envelope
• No date on the exterior envelope
• Incorrect date on the envelope
• No secrecy envelope (aka a “naked ballot”)
• Undeliverable, possibly due to a wrong address
• Unverifiable identification

How to fix a flawed mail ballot

Some Philadelphia voters on the list are marked as having unverifiable identification. They should fill out an ID verification form and submit it along with a picture or photocopy of an acceptable ID, if available, to phillyelection@phila.gov or via fax to 215-686-3398. They can also call 215-686-3469. Those are due by Tuesday, May 27.

The other voters on the list made errors when completing their ballots, or their ballots were never delivered to them because the addresses were wrong, or there was a problem at the post office.

They can get a replacement ballot at the County Board of Elections office in City Hall Room 140 or any of the city’s 10 satellite election offices.

The City Hall office is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. It can be reached at 215-686-3469. The satellite offices are also open during the same hours: weekdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends.

Replacements can be filled out and submitted on the spot, or deposited in one of the city’s many secure drop boxes (here’s a map).

Mail ballots may not be turned in at polling places on Election Day.

If you or someone you know is on the list but can’t get to an election office in time due to a disability, they can authorize a designated agent to pick up and/or return their completed ballot. A designated agent form is available at the City Commissioners’ website.

If you’re on the list but aren’t able to get a replacement using the instructions above, you can request a provisional ballot at your polling place on Election Day. Provisional ballots are the last to be counted.

List of voters with fixable ballot flaws

Philadelphia voters who cast a ballot in this year’s primary election will choose from a list of candidates hoping to become either a judge, the city’s next district attorney or city controller. But they’ll also consider three ballot measures, including one designed to increase the city’s supply of affordable housing amid an ongoing crisis.

The measure effectively seeks to close a loophole created by the Mixed-Income Housing Bonus program, which enables real estate developers to increase the density of certain projects beyond the base zoning by either building price-restricted affordable housing or making a payment to the Housing Trust Fund “in lieu” of building those units.

If the measure is passed, the city would be required to put 100% of those payments into the fund, which is used to help create and preserve affordable housing. At the moment, the city is free to use those funds as they see fit, and the money is routinely used for other budget items.

Backers say the measure, which would amend the city’s charter, would do little more than satisfy the original intent of the mixed-income program, which launched in 2018 to help create more housing, as well as mitigate gentrification and economic segregation.

» READ MORE: Philly ballot measure would send more dollars to city fund for affordable housing

Nearly 800,000 mail ballots were requested for Pennsylvania’s 2025 primary election. As of Tuesday morning, around 67% had been returned.

In Philadelphia, a little over 74,000 voters requested mail ballots, but only 53% have returned theirs so far.

Still holding onto yours? There are several ways to turn it in. Here’s what to know:

Mail ballot drop-off locations for Bucks, Chesco, Delco, Montco, and Philly can be found online.

If you have a mail ballot but prefer to vote in person, bring your ballot (and the envelopes it came with) and surrender it to a poll worker. Once you’ve surrendered your mail ballot and signed a declaration, you can cast a regular ballot.

If you requested a mail ballot but didn’t receive one, head to your polling place and ask for a provisional ballot. After Election Day, officials will verify you didn’t already vote by mail and count your ballot.

Mail ballots must be delivered to a drop box or county election officials by the time the polls close at 8 p.m. Mail ballots postmarked by the deadline, but not yet received, do not count.

» READ MORE: How to fill out and return your Pa. mail ballot

Amendments to the Home Rule Charter — essentially the city’s constitution — must be adopted by City Council and then approved by voters.

This year’s primary ballot has three proposed amendments. They would create an office that advocates for homeless individuals and families; boost spending on affordable housing; and create a new prison oversight office and board.

Every voter will see the questions on their ballot, even non-party-affiliated residents who do not vote on candidates in the primary.

Residents can vote in person at their polling sites on May 20, or register for and send in a mail ballot by May 13.

» READ MORE: Philly primary voters will see three ballot questions. Here’s what they mean

Voters across Pennsylvania are heading to the polls to cast ballots in the 2025 primary election. Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.

Reporters from WHYY News and Billy Penn are following the Democratic race for Philadelphia district attorney, statewide judicial offices and more.

As Election Day unfolds, follow WHYY’s live special coverage on WHYY.org and the WHYY App.

Your voter game plan

• Have questions about the election? Our 2025 voter hub has the answers
• Looking for voter info? Here are WHYY News’ Pa. voter guide and Billy Penn’s Philly voter guide
• Want to learn more about the candidates? Here are key contests to watch:
  • Philadelphia DA: Democratic Incumbent Larry Krasner vs. challenger Pat Dugan
  • Judicial races: Candidates are running for seats on the state’s Commonwealth Court, Superior Court and Supreme Court
• Curious about Philly’s three ballot questions? Here’s a breakdown of what to expect
• Voting by mail? Here’s everything you need to know about filling out and returning your ballot
• Eager for results? Follow along with WHYY as votes are tallied this evening: Philadelphia | Pennsylvania