Pennsylvania's two largest cities will hold primaries Tuesday for high-profile municipal offices, while voters across the commonwealth will choose nominees for statewide appellate court judgeships.
The election is a prelude to November, when voters could scramble partisan control of the state Supreme Court . The primaries in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh will have added significance because the eventual Democratic nominees will be heavily favored in the general election.
In Philadelphia, Democrat Larry Krasner seeks a third term as district attorney against former Philadelphia Municipal Court Judge Pat Dugan. Dugan stepped down in December midway through his third term to challenge Krasner for the Democratic nomination. He's running as a moderate alternative to Krasner and has far outraised the incumbent.
Republicans have not fielded a candidate for the general election.
Krasner won reelection in 2021 by a wide margin , but the Republican-controlled state House impeached him a year later over his progressive policies. Senate Republicans had prepared to hold an impeachment trial to try to remove Krasner from office, but the state Supreme Court ruled that the trial needed to be held before the end of the 2022 legislative session. Democrats took control of the state House in 2023, making a new impeachment effort all but impossible.