This archive report was first published on 6 November 2019.
On election day, voters in New York made their voices heard, approving all five ballot measures and electing a new crop of district attorneys. The results were a testament to the growing attention Democrats are paying to prosecutor posts, which they see as a battleground for progressive ideals.
One of the most closely watched races was in Queens, where Melinda Katz, the borough president, defeated a Republican to become the next district attorney. Her victory was largely effortless, but her path to the office was anything but. The Democratic primary had come down to a barely-there margin between Ms. Katz and another candidate, Tiffany Cabán, a democratic socialist and former public defender who was endorsed by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Ms. Cabán's loss to Ms. Katz by 55 votes was a significant setback for progressive forces in the city. However, the fight for criminal justice reform is far from over. In Monroe County, Shani Curry Mitchell, a Democrat, challenged the Republican incumbent, Sandra Doorley, on a promise to curb mass incarceration, prioritize diversity, and end
