Former Municipal Court President Judge Pat Dugan has the support of the Philadelphia Building Trades in his challenge to District Attorney Larry Krasner in the Democratic primary.
Dugan last week announced his candidacy at the Building Trades headquarters at 4170 Woodhaven Road.
Joining him on stage were Ryan Boyer, business manager; Wayne Miller, the longtime business manager for Sprinkler Fitters Local 692 and president of the Building Trades; Mark Lynch, business manager of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 98; and Jim Snell, business manager of Steamfitters Local 420.
State Rep. Sean Dougherty was also in the crowd.
Boyer and Miller are the co-chairmen of Dugan’s campaign.
“He knows when to be compassionate and he knows when he needs to bring the hammer down,” Miller said.
As a youngster, Dugan lived on Stillman Street in Fairmount before moving to Frankford and attending St. Joachim Grammar School. He recalls hopping on the El at Margaret-Orthodox and taking the 15 trolley up Girard Avenue to St. Joseph’s Prep.
Dugan went on to become a lawyer and serve in the U.S. Army, including five years overseas and deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. He received a Bronze Star.
In all, he served 23 years in the Army, including 10 as a JAG officer. He was appointed by then-Gov. Ed Rendell in 2007 to Municipal Court and was elected to a full term in ‘09.
In 2010, Dugan founded Veterans Court, which boasts a low recidivism rate.
In 2019, Dugan became president judge of Municipal Court.
In 2023, he ran for Superior Court.
Late last year, he resigned from Municipal Court, a job he said he loved.
A Far Northeast resident, he said he’s challenging Krasner because he believes the incumbent withdraws too many cases for prosecution and was an “obstructionist” when it came to diversionary programs in Municipal Court.
Dugan also pointed to a case at 52nd and Delancey streets, where a shopkeeper was robbed and shot. The shooter took a plea deal and was sentenced to a mere 3½ years in prison.
Dugan also faulted Krasner for what he said has been a lack of prosecution for retail theft, allowing people to swipe items of less than $500. Many stores are trying to find ways to deter retail theft.
“If you want toothpaste,” Dugan said, “you have to find somebody to unlock it.”
Dugan pointed to Wawa closings in Center City.
“They couldn’t control the retail theft,” he said, adding that he believes Macy’s is closing its Center City store due to thefts.
As for the campaign, Dugan said he will have to raise money to get supporters to the polls in a race that historically has had low voter turnout.
“Mark your calendars on May 20, come out and vote,” he said.
Krasner was elected in 2017 and re-elected in 2021. In response to a media question, Dugan said he hasn’t voted for Krasner.
“I voted for anybody but Larry Krasner the last couple times,” he said. ••
