Democrat Seth Williams wins Philadelphia D.A. race
Philadelphia elected its first African American District Attorney Tuesday. Democrat Seth Williams easily beat Republican Michael Untermeyer. Williams replaces the first female district attorney, Lynn Abraham, who served about two decades.
Philadelphia elected its first African American District Attorney Tuesday. Democrat Seth Williams easily beat Republican Michael Untermeyer. Williams replaces the first female district attorney, Lynn Abraham, who served about two decades.
Williams’ victory did not come as a surprise in a city where Democrats outnumber Republicans 6-to-1.
The former city prosecutor and inspector general made his plan to limit illegal gun sales a focal point of his campaign. Williams promises to crack down on so-called “straw purchases” that lead to an abundance of black market guns on the city’s streets.
Williams says his approach to criminal justice will differ from his predecessor.
Williams: We’re gonna really work on crime prevention, reducing recidivism, working with communities through community based prosecution I think those are the fundamental ways things are gonna be different.
The victory for Williams on Tuesday comes four years after he unsuccessfully challenged Abraham, his former boss and a fellow Democrat. Abraham chose not to run for re-election.
Williams had the backing of several key African-American groups, some of which have criticized Abraham for her aggressive pursuit of the death penalty.
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