Fordham Law Professor John Pfaff, one of the nation’s leading scholars on mass incarceration and criminal justice reform, spoke to Davis Vanguard about the hyper-local nature of prosecutorial politics and the limitations of recall-based backlash.
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner’s victory in the 2025 Democratic primary—virtually guaranteeing a third term—marks a striking contrast to the fate of several other progressive prosecutors across the country who have lost reelection bids or been removed from office amid rising public anxiety over crime and intensifying political backlash. While figures like Chesa Boudin in San Francisco and Pamela Price in Alameda County have faced tough electoral consequences or organized recalls, Krasner has not only survived but thrived. Why?
To answer that question, we spoke with John Pfaff, a Fordham Law professor and one of the nation’s leading scholars on mass incarceration and criminal justice reform. According to Pfaff, Krasner’s durability illustrates the hyper-local nature of prosecutorial politics, the limitations of recall-based backlash, and the demographic foundations of progressive reform.
Read “Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner Secures Third Term, Defying National Trend” on David Vanguard.