By Hellen Zaboulani

Eight contenders are in the crowded race to replace Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr., in the critical election coming up in June.

As reported by the Wall Street Journal, five of those candidates have prosecutorial experience. Those include: Tali Farhadian Weinstein who worked as federal prosecutor in the Eastern Districts of New York; Alvin Bragg who served as federal prosecutor in the Southern Districts of NY; and Lucy Lang, Diana Florence and Liz Crotty all who are alumni of the Manhattan district attorney’s office. The three remaining candidates do not have experience working as prosecutors. They are: Tahanie Aboushi, a civil rights attorney; Assemblyman Dan Quart, also a civil litigator; and Eliza Orlins, a Manhattan public defender.

The Democratic primary, which will take place on June 22, will likely determine the winner of the general election, as no strong Republican candidates have risen for the four-year post of Manhattan district Attorney. Although Mr. Vance, a Democrat, has not dismissed the possibility that he could run for a fourth term, it seems unlikely. This is demonstrated by the fact that Vance has not fundraised for his campaign, and has only about $4,200 in his campaign account, as per the latest filing. A campaign spokesperson said he is expected to announce his intentions in the weeks to come.

All of the eight candidates in the race are campaigning with a promise to overhaul of the justice system, in alignment with the progressive prosecutor movement. As per the Gotham Gazette, of all the candidates, Weinstein, has distinguished herself as leader in fundraising, obtaining $2.26 million in contributions, of which she spent less than $650,000, and still has $1.6 million in cash on hand, as per the last filing in January. A great deal of her funding is from wealthy donors, in the form of larger contributions of about $35,000.

Bragg has raised $1.33 million overall since he launched his campaign in 2019, making him second place for fundraising. He has spent roughly $250,000, and he maintains that he is the only candidate who didn’t received contributions from big corporations, although Florence also said she refused donations from corporations and real estate developers. Florence has raised $355,000, as of the latest filing, which is at the low end of the spectrum. The only other candidate to raise less was Crotty who has raised below $280,000, as per the Gotham Gazette.