Dugan to face Krasner in a rematch for Philly DA seat

Pat Dugan has announced he will be on Philadelphia ballots come November after a write-in effort and necessary paperwork are completed to allow him to do so, according to his campaign.  Announced Saturday, Aug. 9, Dugan’s campaign said that he will appear as a Republican on ballots, but “still identifies as an independent Democrat.”

According to reports, Dugan attempted to run against Democratic primary winner Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, but lost with “less than 40 percent of the primary vote” in May. The November 2025 battle will be the second face-off of the two candidates. Krasner is seeking to remain in his seat for a third term after initially winning the role in 2018.

Over 6,000 write-in votes were obtained by Dugan, according to reports, allowing him to be on November ballots. Dugan’s campaign said that he will file the required paperwork today.

A former municipal judge for seventeen years, Dugan is a “lifelong Philadelphian” who was “raised in the Frankford section of the city by a single mom with his four siblings,” per a press release.

Philadelphia’s GOP said it “lauds Judge Pat Dugan decision to face Krasner in November,” in a recent press release.

“Pat Dugan has a proven record of standing up for the citizens of Philadelphia and providing fair and honest justice for nearly two decades as a Municipal Court Judge,” said Vince Fenerty, Chairman of the Philly GOP. “His decision to run for District Attorney is an extension of his lifetime of service — as an Army veteran, community volunteer, and Judge — to our city.”

Dugan, 64, is the same age as Krasner, who vowed in the primaries to “fight against President Donald Trump’s policies that affect the city.” According to reports, Dugan was appointed to the municipal courts as judge in 2007 and served as President Judge for five years, retiring in 2024.

Melissa Finley is a 27-year veteran journalist who has worked for a wide variety of publications over her enjoyable career.