In the past 47 years, the Manhattan district attorney’s office has been occupied by just two people: the legendary Robert Morganthau, who served in office 35 years, and current DA Cy Vance, who chose not to seek re-election and is stepping down at the end of the year. 

The overwhelming favorite to replace him is Democrat Alvin Bragg. Bragg won a bruising eight-way Democratic primary in June, thus becoming a near-lock to win the general election in a borough where Democratic voters outnumber Republicans nine to one.

But first he’s got to get past a scrappy Republican opponent. 

What You Need To Know

  • Alvin Bragg won an 8-way Democratic primary in June and is the heavy favorite in the Manhattan DA’s race

  • Bragg, a former prosecutor and top deputy for the state attorney general, says he can balance reform and public safety

  • Republican Thomas Kenniff, a defense attorney and Iraq War veteran, says progressive policies are fueling crime
  • The winner of the race will replace Cyrus Vance, who chose not to seek re-election

“My opponent’s policy is one that seems to prioritize the criminals over innocent victims,” said Thomas Kenniff, a defense attorney and Iraq War veteran.

Kenniff believes the kinds of progressive reforms that Democrats have championed, like bail reform, are fueling crime. He advocates for the broken windows theory of law enforcement, promising to crack down on lower-level crimes like shoplifting.

Bragg, meanwhile, says as a kid growing up in Harlem he had a gun pointed at him by both police and criminals. Later he would serve as a federal prosecutor and as a chief deputy in the state attorney general’s office. He says he can enact reform without jeopardizing safety.

“To me, fairness and safety go hand in hand,” he said in an interview. “I’m walking these streets — you know, he obviously doesn’t live in Manhattan. I’ve been here for 50 years, living in the most affected neighborhoods. I had a shooting on my block 10 to 15 days ago.”

Bragg was referencing the fact Kenniff lives on Long Island, though he’ll move back to Manhattan, his longtime home, if elected. As a member of the Army National Guard, Kenniff spent part of the pandemic deployed there.

“When many people were leaving Manhattan, I ran into it, because I was activated with the National Guard to serve at the Javits Center during my time there,” he said.

Bragg hasn’t been campaigning much lately; he’s the attorney for Gwen Carr and others in the current judicial inquiry examining the circumstances surrounding Eric Garner's death.

“This is part and parcel of that broader endeavor of restoring trust,” he said, “so that we can have the fairness we need that is hand in hand with public safety."