Alvin Bragg won the election to become Manhattan’s next district attorney Tuesday, Nov. 2, making history as the first Black man to hold one of the nation’s most high-profile prosecutorial offices.
The Harlemite and former prosecutor for the State Attorney General’s office got 83.51% of the vote with 154,181 ballots cast for him, beating Republican opponent Thomas Kenniff, who garnered 16.34% and 30,163 votes, with 87.14 % of scanners reporting Tuesday night.
“We have been given a profound trust tonight. To whom much is given, much is required,” Bragg said, quoting scripture, at his election night party at the Harlem Tavern on Frederick Douglass Boulevard. “The fundamental of the district attorney is to guarantee both fairness and safety, that is the trust that’s been given to me on the ballot.”
Bragg said he would first focus on a surge in gun violence and the humanitarian crisis on Rikers Island.
“We’re going to decarcerate safely in a way that’s going to uplift our communities and create a path forward safely for all of us,” he said.
In deep-blue Manhattan, Bragg’s victory is unsurprising and he will take over from incumbent DA Cyrus Vance as Manhattan’s top prosecutor, who has held the office since 2009, who he said had already reached out to him to congratulate him on his victory.
Bragg’s victory was celebrated by Lieutenant Governor and former Harlem State Senator Brian Benjamin, who emceed the event.
“Having a district attorney from Manhattan who has lived on the other side of 96th Street, that’s what we are celebrating here tonight,” Benjamin said.
Kenniff, a Long Island defense lawyer and Iraq veteran, ran on a tough-on-crime platform, criticizing New York State’s bail reform laws as too lax.
In a statement on social media, Kenniff congratulated Bragg on his victory.
“I’d like to congratulate @AlvinBraggNYC on his historic victory tonight. While we may have competing visions on the role of DA, we are aligned in our commitment to public safety and a fair criminal justice system. I wish him nothing but success as he takes the reins of DA,” he wrote on Twitter.
https://twitter.com/Kenniff4DA/status/1455721967017938945
Bragg previously came out on top in an eight-way Democratic primary in June touting his experience as a prosecutor overseeing notable cases such as the state suing disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, as well as leading a unit investigating police killings of unarmed civilians.
Bragg won that contest against well-heeled former federal prosecutor Tali Farhadian Weinstein, who poured an eye-watering $8.2 million of her own money into campaign.
Other former Democratic rivals Eliza Orleans and Elizabeth Crotty campaigned with Bragg in the lead up to the general election.
Enjoyed campaigning today with @elizaorlins and @LizCrotty2021. Throughout the primary, their ideas, passion, and knowledge of the Manhattan DA office made me a better candidate and will make me a better Manhattan DA. Honored to have their support. pic.twitter.com/0qisobE13g
— All In for Alvin (@AlvinBraggNYC) October 31, 2021
The Manhattan office is tasked with some very high profile cases, such as an ongoing investigation into former President Donald Trump.
Bragg previously served as the chief deputy attorney general in New York State and an assistant US Attorney in New York’s Southern District.
The new DA has pledged to create a unit to investigate police misconduct, overhaul the DA’s sex crimes unit, and reform treatment of people struggling from substance abuse.
