Philly DA Candidates Continue Effort To Distinguish Themselves In Crowded Field
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- With Philadelphia's primary election just two weeks away, there still is no clear front-runner in the race for Democratic District Attorney nominee. A forum Monday at Temple University showed most of the candidates share similar views.
About 30 people attended the forum, which was sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce. KYW Newsradio's Larry Kane quizzed the candidates on topics ranging from wage theft to the city's sanctuary policy but with six of the seven people in the race present, policy nuances were hard to detect for Nicole Westrick, sitting in the audience.
"There were a lot similarities, so maybe not the depth, but that's to be expected with a 45 second answer," Westrick said, "I'm still undecided. I have more research to do."
But given the crowded field and the relatively low-profile of the offices up for grabs, voter research may have less to do with the results than party insiders. That may be why one candidate ducked out early to accept a well-known ward leader's endorsement.
The forum also touched on opioids, bail reform and unscrupulous businesses, and despite the general agreement on policy that has marked the race, Maria Montero spotted differences in style.
"It actually helped solidify who the stronger candidates were and who were individuals who are approaching it from a more political standpoint," Montero said.
She diplomatically declined to say who was who.