Mr. Krasner is asking Mr. Parker for more funding, but is a mayoral race just around the corner?
Is the Philadelphia State Attorney’s Office’s public funding request a testimonial for the mayor’s campaign?
As Philadelphia approaches adoption of its fiscal year 2027 budget, District Attorney Larry Krasner has publicly asked Mayor Sherrell Parker to reconsider funding for public services.
But was this request a sincere request for a $5.6 million increase over the more than $60 million allocated to the DAO in the FY 2027 proposal, or a strategic public move ahead of the mayoral election?
Mr. Parker doesn’t seem convinced.
In an open letter to Parker that Krasner planned to publish and deliver on June 8, the police department thanked the mayor for his work, leadership and foresight, and appealed for additional funding for the DAO’s work, including victim and witness services and investigating and prosecuting crimes against the elderly.
He also requested time from the mayor, specifically specifying a meeting between the two elected officials.
According to his open letter, since January 2024, the two sides have had only three scheduled meetings and only “limited telephone interactions.”
“Our teams talk and collaborate every day, but I believe that as the two highest-ranking city elected officials, we have an obligation to our residents to meet monthly to discuss ways to continue to improve the quality of life in Philadelphia,” Krasner said.
Looks like he won’t buy a hoodie.
The mayor’s office did not respond to USA TODAY Network’s request for comment about the meeting with Krasner, but Parker told NBC10, “You’re going to meet with a lot of people who know me, and they’ll be able to tell you a lot about me, but the opportunity to meet with me means how many times a week does the district attorney’s office and my team meet? If the district attorney is interested in meeting with me, they’ll know how to do that.”
The news organization reported that the mayor said, “I will not respond to anyone’s obstruction. That’s not what I do.”
KYW News Radio reported that the mayor called Krasner’s letter a “theatrics” and said, “Maybe it’s a one-man show, but the mayor won’t be a part of it.”
Krasner also took the opportunity to shut down rumors of a mayoral run when pressed by NBC10 reporter Lauren Make.
There has been no official notice or indication that Krasner may be considering a run for the 2027 election season, but the idea is not new to political analysts.
In February, Axios reported that insiders were already buzzing with questions about Krasner’s possible campaign efforts, following his election to a third Democratic term and anti-Trump rhetoric.
A representative for the prosecutor’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.
Kaitlyn McCormick is a Philadelphia-based reporter who writes about trends, news and all things city-related for USA TODAY’s Philadelphia Metro Connect team.
