Matt Dugan, the Democratic candidate running for district attorney in Pennsylvania’s Allegheny County, lost his election bid despite receiving nearly $2 million of funding from megadonor George Soros, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.
Dugan first challenged incumbent District Attorney Stephen Zappala in the county’s May primary election, beating Zappala by 10 points after receiving $700,000 in funding from the Soros-funded Pennsylvania Justice and Public Safety Political Action Committee (PAC), according to the Post-Gazette. The PAC donated an additional $1.1 million to Dugan’s campaign between June and October, but Zappala managed to beat the Democratic challenger by 3 points despite his major loss just months earlier.
“We connected with a lot of voters,” Dugan said on Tuesday night, according to the Post-Gazette. “We just came up a little bit short.”
“I care deeply about criminal justice, I care deeply about Allegheny County, and there’s a space for me out there somewhere,” Dugan added. “I’ll tackle that tomorrow.”
Dugan ran on a platform of criminal justice reform and advocated for policies including eliminating cash bail, prosecuting fewer “low-level offenders” and shrinking the jail population, according to his campaign website. The candidate criticized Zappala for receiving funding from a Republican billionaire and argued that the incumbent district attorney had “betrayed” the values of Pennsylvania citizens with his criminal justice approach.
“The whole system is broken,” Dugan claimed in a campaign video. “For 23 years, we’ve had a prosecutor whose calling card was that he’s tough on crime. But as chief public defender, I’ve seen the failure of that approach nearly every single day. I’ve seen kids’ lives ruined for a mistake they thought was the only way out of a bad situation, while dangerous criminals are never brought to justice.”
Buta Biberaj, the incumbent district attorney of Loudoun County in Virginia whose campaign was also backed by Soros, lost her reelection bid on Tuesday as well. More Soros-funded district attorneys across the nation have come under fire as critics have claimed that their lenient approach toward crime has made cities less safe.
Dugan’s campaign said the candidate was taking some time off to “regroup” after the election and declined to comment further on the matter.
All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
DONATE TO BIZPAC REVIEW
Please help us! If you are fed up with letting radical big tech execs, phony fact-checkers, tyrannical liberals and a lying mainstream media have unprecedented power over your news please consider making a donation to BPR to help us fight them. Now is the time. Truth has never been more critical!
- Less than one-third of blue city residents approve of mayor: Poll - November 16, 2023
- Paul Pelosi’s attacker found guilty of attempted kidnapping, assault - November 16, 2023
- Police arrest suspect in death of Jewish protester - November 16, 2023
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.
BPR INSIDER COMMENTS
Scroll down for non-member comments or join our insider conversations by becoming a member. We'd love to have you!
