Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner (left) spoke at a Penn Democrats event at Penn in Oct. 2018.
Credit: Sage LevinePhiladelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner announced his endorsement of Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) for president this week, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
Krasner posted a video on Twitter on Wednesday where he spoke with Warren, a former Penn Law professor, about criminal justice reform. He said he supported Warren’s ideas for promoting economic justice and fighting racial profiling, as well as her desire to lift up lower-income families.
“This country needs to have a reckoning and come straight at the issue of race,” Krasner said in his announcement. “I’m endorsing Elizabeth Warren because her plans fundamentally change how we address crime."
Krasner was elected district attorney in 2017 after a campaign in which he promised to bring drastic changes to the criminal justice system in Philadelphia. In his first week, Krasner notably fired 31 prosecutors from the DA’s office, and in his first month, he dropped all marijuana possession charges.
Krasner’s endorsement follows that of Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney, who endorsed Warren on Oct. 23. Kenney was the first big-city mayor to endorse Warren, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
Krasner’s endorsement came as a surprise to many Philadelphia voters who had identified him with Warren's primary rival Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.). In 2017, Krasner was called the "Sanders" of the District Attorney race. “I do feel like the Bernie in this race,” Krasner said in a 2017 interview. In 2018, Krasner also held a Criminal Justice Roundtable with Sanders.
Mayor Kenney's and District Attorney Krasner’s endorsements are still notable for Warren, who has yet to secure a major endorsement from a governor or a senator outside her home state of Massachusetts. Many other notable Pennsylvania Democrats, such as Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.), have given their endorsement to Pennsylvania native and current national polling frontrunner, former Vice President Joe Biden.
The 2020 Pennsylvania Democratic primary will be held on April 28.
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