Grady campaign considers itself "one of the frontrunners" in D.A. race

By Max Orenstein
Collegian Editor
April 2, 2009

Although polling hasn’t been done since December concerning the race for Philadelphia District Attorney, candidate Brian Grady is feeling optimistic.

While several of his rivals have been mired with legal challenges to their candidacies, and candidate Seth Williams losing a court challenge to his campaign, Grady—a La Salle alumnus—has campaigned vigorously the past couple of weeks in crime-ridden areas of the city in hopes of making his message stick among voters, according to Grady’s campaign manager, Jeff Yurcan.

The Grady campaign issued a press release March 17, saying, “Brian Grady … today announced that the nominating petitions he submitted for this spring’s Democratic Primary did not receive any challenges, clearing his way to appear on the ballot in May.

“Several of Grady’s opponents filed challenges against each other, and they will spend the upcoming days embroiled in legal disputes trying to knock each other off the ballot. Grady did not file any challenges against his opponents.”

Yurcan said that it is “certainly within their rights” to challenge each other’s candidacies, but “Brian is running a campaign about ideas,” and he prefers to avoid “frivolous legal battles.”

“I look forward to spending my time in the upcoming days and weeks reaching out to Philadelphians across the city and sharing my ideas on how the D.A.’s office and our court systems can be used more effectively to make our neighborhoods safer,” Grady said in a statement.

In a ruling March 27, a Common Pleas Court judge ruled that Williams did not properly report campaign funds.

Another candidate, Michael Turner, won his challenge in court, according to Yurcan.

Meanwhile, Grady has focused his message on eliminating violent crime by campaigning in some of Philadelphia’s most dangerous areas. He kicked off his tour March 11 at the intersection of North 23rd and West Cambria Streets. On March 20, Grady made a campaign stop less than a mile away from La Salle, at the intersection of Broad Street and Olney Avenue. Last month, Philadelphia Police Officer John Pawlowski was shot and killed at that location in what Grady called “a senseless act of violence.”

Grady is scheduled to appear today at the intersection of South Patterson and Tasker Streets, where “[S]tate witness Chante Wright was gunned down in a double homicide in January 2008 after she agreed to testify in a murder trial,” according to a press release issued March 31 by Grady’s campaign.

Initial polling on the D.A. race was sobering for Grady. The poll, published Dec. 5 by the left-leaning group Young Philly Politics, showed Williams in the lead by 19 percentage points and Grady in last place with a total of one percent support. At the time, 38 percent were undecided.

However, Yurcan believes that Grady has been able to build momentum. According to pollster Delair Ali, the early poll numbers were likely the result of name recognition. “Right now, I feel like we’re one of the frontrunners, and I think we’re going to win this thing,” Yurcan said. “We feel very strong. People are responding to his ideas.” Having already appeared at or near La Salle four times this election season, Yurcan said the campaign is considering another trip to campus.

“La Salle has been great to Brian,” he said.

orensteinm1@student.lasalle.edu