Gotham Gazette

The Place for New York Policy and politics

Alvin Bragg

Alvin Bragg

  • Manhattan District Attorney Candidates Bragg and Kenniff Debate Resumes and Visions

    Gotham Gazette:

    Manhattan DA candidates Alvin Bragg, left, & Thomas Kenniff


    The two candidates running for Manhattan District Attorney in the imminent fall election met recently for a spirited televised debate, with issues ranging from the bail system to gun violence and each aspirant’s record of public service.

    Democratic nominee Alvin Bragg, a former prosecutor and top deputy New York Attorney General, and Republican nominee Thomas Kenniff, a former military judge and criminal defense attorney, sparred over their resumes and visions for the office in a debate hosted by

    ...
  • WATCH: Manhattan District Attorney General Election Debate

    Gotham Gazette:

    Alvin Bragg, left, & Thomas Kenniff


    In the general election for Manhattan District Attorney, Democratic nominee Alvin Bragg and Republican nominee Thomas Kenniff met for a debate hosted by Manhattan Neighborhood Network and moderated by Gotham Gazette's Ben Max. Watch:

  • Debate Over Reform and Safety in Manhattan District Attorney General Election

    bragg kenniff mashup

    Alvin Bragg, left, & Thomas Kenniff


    With Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. retiring after 12 years leading one of the most high-profile prosecutorial offices in the country, Alvin Bragg emerged from a crowded, competitive, expensive, and closely-watched Democratic primary and is now in the midst of a one-on-one general election. Bragg, a progressive former prosecutor and top deputy New York Attorney General, competing with Republican nominee Thomas Kenniff, a former military judge and criminal defense attorney.

    The

    ...
  • Post-Primary Win, Bragg Promotes Plans for Manhattan DA's Office

    1 primary vic a

    Alvin Bragg at NAN (photo: @AlvinBraggNYC)


    Alvin Bragg, the former Chief Deputy Attorney General for New York State, appears likely to become Manhattan’s next District Attorney. After winning the Democratic primary, in the general election Bragg will face Republican nominee Thomas Kenniff, who has a very steep uphill battle given the overwhelmingly Democratic make-up of Manhattan's electorate and other advantages Bragg comes into the race with, including institutional support. Bragg ran a progressive primary campaign, while still treading something of a

    ...
  • ‘Voters of Manhattan Responded to the Message of Marrying Fairness and Safety’: Alvin Bragg Discusses His Lead in the District Attorney Primary

    2 alv brag mda his

    Alvin Bragg on the campaign trail (photo: @AlvinBraggNYC)


    Alvin Bragg, the current frontrunner in the Manhattan District Attorney Democratic primary election, said during an appearance this past week on the

    ...
  • Max Politics Podcast: The Power of The New York Times Endorsement

    nt nty

    The New York Times (photo: google images 2020)


    June 23, 2021 - Max Politics Podcast: The Power of New York Times Endorsements

    Mara Gay of the New York Times editorial board joined the show to react to the initial batch of vote tallies in the 2021 New York City primary elections and the role the editorial board played in its apparently powerful endorsements of Kathryn Garcia for Mayor, Brad Lander for Comptroller, and Alvin Bragg for Manhattan District Attorney.

    Listen to the conversation and let us know what you think, on Twitter ...

  • Max Politics Podcast: Alvin Bragg on His Lead in the Manhattan DA Race

    1 alvi

    Alvin Bragg (photo: @alvinbraggynyc)


    June 23, 2021 - Max Politics Podcast: Alvin Bragg on His Lead in the Manhattan DA Race

    Alvin Bragg, leading the Manhattan District Attorney Democratic primary election after the initial tally of in-person votes, joined the show to discuss his campaign and platform.

    Listen to the conversation and let us know what you think -- on Twitter @TweetBenMax. You can listen to the show through the embedded audio below or download the episode wherever you get your

    ...
  • What We Know After Primary Night in the Citywide and Borough-wide Races

    mayor voting nyc

    Mayor votes (photo: Michael Appleton/Mayor's Office)


    Though voting in the Tuesday primary has concluded, the election is far from over. Absentee ballots have yet to be counted and ranked-choice votes have yet to be tabulated. While New Yorkers won’t know the final results from election night for possibly a few weeks, there are early unofficial results available and other notable numbers to watch.

    What we know so far is the first-rank votes of those who cast ballots in person, either through early voting or on primary day. In the race for mayor, about 750,000

    ...
  • Candidates for Manhattan District Attorney on Ending the 'Trial Penalty'

    pat jef co

    Courtroom (photo: @nakrnsm)


    Earlier this year, a report on use of the “trial penalty” -- the increased likelihood that a defendant, if proven guilty at trial, will face a harsher sentence than if they had opted into a plea deal -- in New York showed that its practice by district attorneys threatens the constitutional rights of defendants, limits law enforcement transparency, and weakens the overall integrity of the justice system.

    The report, from the New York State

    ...
  • How District Attorneys Must Step Up to Support Survivors

    gender eq hr

    A rally for survivors (photo: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office)


    The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office doesn’t currently have prosecutors dedicated to combatting sex crimes. Yes, you read that right. Assistant District Attorneys responsible to victims of sexual violence simultaneously work in the Trial Bureaus and on sex crimes. This means that staff are overloaded, victims are not being put first, and the system churns rather than addresses the root causes of the violence. 

    As a survivor of sexual violence and as a prosecutor whose career has been

    ...
  • WATCH: 30 Minutes with the Candidates for Manhattan District Attorney

    Gotham Gazette:

    (l-r) Top: Tahanie Aboushi, Alvin Bragg, Eliza Orlins, Tali Farhadian Weinstein; Bottom: Liz Crotty, Dan Quart, Diana Florence, Lucy Lang


    As part of the "Decision NYC with Ben Max" series of candidate interview s from Manhattan Neighborhood Network and Gotham Gazette, host Ben Max interviewed the eight Democratic

    ...
  • Activists Press Manhattan District Attorney Candidates on How Far They’ll Go on Reform

    4x4 2

    Top (l-r): Tahanie Aboushi, Alvin Bragg, Eliza Orlins, Tali Farhadian Weinstein; Bottom (l-r): Liz Crotty, Dan Quart, Diana Florence, Lucy Lang


    All eight candidates currently running for Manhattan District Attorney gathered virtually last week for a reform-focused forum. The race to be Manhattan’s top prosecutor is taking place as incumbent District Attorney Cy Vance has not stated whether he will seek reelection, but has not been raising money or making campaign appearances. All eight candidates in the running are, like Vance, Democrats,

    ...
  • Manhattan District Attorney Candidates' Fundraising from Within the Borough Varies Widely

    top (l-r): Tahanie Aboushi, Alvin Bragg, Eliza Orlins, Tali Farhadian Weinstein; bottom: Liz Crotty, Dan Quart, Diana Florence, Lucy Lang


    Eight candidates are seeking the Democratic nomination for Manhattan District Attorney this year as it becomes increasingly likely that incumbent District Attorney Cy Vance, a third-term Democrat, will not run for reelection. As the candidates appeal to voters across a variety of platforms and appearances, outlining their resumes and plans for the office, they have been trying to draw distinctions about the support they are receiving ahead of the all-important June

    ...
  • Public Defenders Release Evaluation of Manhattan District Attorney Candidates

    mda graph 5bd cropped

    The Five Borough Defender graph of Manhattan DA candidates (full version below)


    A coalition of New York City's public defenders has released a report analyzing the campaign policies of the Manhattan District Attorney candidates vying to replace incumbent Cy Vance, Jr., and their plans to implement those policies. Vance is unlikely to seek reelection and eight Democrats are running in the June primary.

    The new analysis from Five Boro Defenders was conducted through the group's decarceral lens and based

    ...
  • Manhattan District Attorney Candidates Debate Resumes and Reform Credentials

    Gotham Gazette:

    Top (l-r): Tahanie Aboushi, Alvin Bragg, Eliza Orlins, Tali Farhadian Weinstein Bottom (l-r): Liz Crotty, Dan Quart, Diana Florence, Lucy Lang


    The eight candidates running in the 2021 Democratic primary for Manhattan District Attorney convened virtually on Thursday for a panel discussion to offer their plans for a reimagined District Attorney's office. While all the candidates are talking about extensive reform, some want to go far further than others, and the candidates’ resumes inform those distinctions and, in combination, offer significant differences for voters to choose from in the

    ...
  • The Money Race in the Democratic Primary for Manhattan District Attorney: January Filing

    4x4 2

    Top (l-r): Tahanie Aboushi, Alvin Bragg, Eliza Orlins, Tali Farhadian Weinstein
    Bottom (l-r): Liz Crotty, Dan Quart, Diana Florence, Lucy Lang


    It seems more and more likely that Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance will not run for reelection as he has not fundraised for his campaign even as a crowded field of Democrats is seeking the party’s nomination in the June primary. The eight candidates running active campaigns and Vance all just filed their latest mandatory campaign finance disclosures, showing their fundraising and spending for

    ...
  • We Must End Solitary Confinement in New York

    solitary confinement jail cell


    We need to end solitary confinement in our city and state. Spending all day in a cell the size of an elevator can cause permanent brain damage. Common sense tells us this. Science confirms it. But only the words of someone who has been in solitary confinement can begin to explain it.

    “No one to talk to. Nothing to do. I did push-ups. I read the Bible. That’s it. For days.” That is the way my brother-in-law explained it to me. And the haunting look in his eyes –– years later –– conveyed more than words ever could.

    This is an issue of fundamental

    ...
  • Manhattan District Attorney Candidates Pitch Plans and Pasts to West Side Democratic Clubs

    Gotham Gazette:

    Top (l-r): Tahanie Aboushi, Alvin Bragg, Eliza Orlins, Janos Marton, Tali Farhadian Weinstein
    Bottom (l-r): Liz Crotty, Dan Quart, Diana Florence, Lucy Lang


    Tuesday night, the Chelsea Reform Democrats and Hell’s Kitchen Democrats co-hosted a candidate forum for the nine candidates running in the 2021 Democratic primary for Manhattan District Attorney. Incumbent Cy Vance has not declared whether or not he plans to run for reelection, but he has not been actively fundraising for another run and has not appeared at any of the early forums, where candidates have

    ...
  • Renewed Scrutiny of Police Misconduct Includes Reexamination of Qualified Immunity for Officers

    NYPD officers oath academy graduates

    New NYPD officers are sworn in (photo: Michael Appleton/Mayor's Office)


    In the wake of the killing of George Floyd and other Black Americans at the hands of law enforcement, the Qualified Immunity Doctrine has come under increased scrutiny from activists and elected officials. Simply put, when applied to police officers, qualified immunity means that officers can rarely be subject to civil lawsuits in their individual capacities over allegations of excessive force, brutality, or other misconduct while on the job. In other words, they

    ...
  • All 9 Democratic Candidates for Manhattan District Attorney Appear at LGBTQ-Focused Forum

    5x4

    Top (l-r): Tahanie Aboushi, Alvin Bragg, Eliza Orlins, Janos Marton, Tali Farhadian Weinstein
    Bottom (l-r): Liz Crotty, Dan Quart, Diana Florence, Lucy Lang


    The nine Democratic candidates currently running for Manhattan District Attorney in next year’s June primary shared the Zoom debate stage for the first time Tuesday night at a three-hour forum hosted by the Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club, an LGBTQ-focused political organization.

    ...
  • Without Vance, 5 Democratic Manhattan District Attorney Candidates Participate in First Debate

    5 candidates

    (l-r) Dan Quart, Alvin Bragg, Tahanie Aboushi, Janos Marton, Eliza Orlins


    With the 2021 Democratic primary for Manhattan District Attorney now under a year away, five candidates for the office participated in a forum hosted by the New York City Program Council and Columbia Law School’s Black Law Students Association. Manhattan’s current District Attorney, Cy Vance, has not yet said if he will seek reelection next year as the borough’s top prosecutor and law enforcement officer, but he was a frequent target of his potential opponents during the event.

    The

    ...
  • The 2021 Manhattan District Attorney Race is Officially Underway

    Cy Vance Manhattan DA speaking

    Cy Vance (photo: @ManhattanDA)


    Five candidates vying to become the next Manhattan District Attorney will participate in a forum on Tuesday, just under a year before the primary election and over a year after the first candidate in the race announced his campaign. The event, featuring all Democrats, is being hosted by the NYC Programming Council and Columbia Law School. Current District Attorney Cy Vance hasn’t said whether or not he will seek reelection in 2021 and is not participating in the first debate of the race.

    The event comes a week after Vance

    ...
  • Amid Coronavirus Crisis and Beyond, Equal Justice for All, Including U.S. Senators

    corona justice

    Equal justice for all, whether a top elected official or not, the author writes (photo: Wikimedia Commons)


    Alongside the daily coronavirus news come allegations about shocking abuses of power. Several United States senators, most notably Senators Burr and Loeffler, allegedly used non-public information — confidential congressional briefings about COVID-19 — to sell stocks whose prices they believed would drop due to the pandemic. Even worse, while taking steps to profit from the

    ...