May 12, 2017
Grammy Award-winning singer John Legend wants Philadelphians to cast their votes for civil rights lawyer Larry Krasner on Tuesday.
Legend, who has nearly 10 million followers on Twitter, tweeted his endorsement Thursday evening, throwing his weight into a crowded race that features seven Democratic candidates looking to replace indicted District Attorney Seth Williams.
I’m endorsing Larry Krasner for Philly DA — he knows that schools and opportunity, not jails, are the answer to crime. #Krasner4DA
— John Legend (@johnlegend) May 11, 2017
Legend is an Ohio native, but he spent time in Philadelphia while attending the University of Pennsylvania, where he enrolled at the age of 16.
As the Inquirer's Chris Brennan notes, Legend graduated from the school in 1999 and recently became a member of the board for a Penn think tank, the Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice.
Krasner, known for defending Black Lives Matter and Occupy protesters, has already drawn some big names backing his campaign — namely, billionaire George Soros, who reportedly bought $280,000 in dark-money TV ads supporting the candidate.
The primary election for district attorney and other state and city races is May 16. Check out PhillyVoice's voter guide for more info.
