District Attorney Stephen Zappala to seek 7th term, with possible challenge from left-wing of party
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — He's been Allegheny County's district attorney since 1998, and Steve Zappala is not done yet.
As KDKA-TV political editor Jon Delano reports, Zappala is expected to announce his candidacy for a seventh term as DA on Friday.
Zappala has been a fixture in this region for years. He's not flashy or a DA who rushes in front of a camera. And Zappala's approach to law enforcement, says University of Pittsburgh constitutional law professor Jerry Dickinson, has evolved over the years.
"An evolution, an evolving prosecutor, a prosecutor who was probably on the more conservative side of prosecuting crime, hard on crime type of approach. And then as time has moved on, we've seen Mr. Zappala have a more liberal, progressive approach on some policies," says Dickinson.
Dickinson cites Zappala's willingness to prosecute police officers, as in the death of Antwon Rose II, along with charging demonstrators who engaged in local vandalism.
"He has gone after law enforcement. That's a fact, and certainly in his prosecutorial role. And he's also gone after protesters," says Dickinson.
For the most part, Zappala stays out of the limelight, says Dickinson. But that will be hard to do in 2023 as district attorney elections across the country become more political.
"It's an incredibly powerful position. It's an incredibly important position. And in the last several years this has become a center point in politics across the United States in terms of who the people are going to elect to do this very important job," Dickinson said.
It's likely Zappala will be challenged in the Democratic primary from the progressive wing of his party, says Dickinson.
"They're going to argue that he's too tough on crime and, for example, the data shows that a disproportionate number of Black men in the city of Pittsburgh are being arrested and prosecuted and convicted, and far too many unjust plea bargains," Dickinson said.
Although he says Zappala has become more progressive in some ways, it's not enough for some.
Progressives argue Zappala hasn't done enough on bail reform, probation reform, and criminal justice reform and has a lackluster record on violent crime.
One possible challenger is Allegheny County Chief Public Defender Matt Dugan, who is expected to announce in mid-January.
Dickinson says voters will take an interest in this race.
"The murder of George Floyd is not that far in our memory," he said. "The protests that happened in the summer of 2020, the issues that came up because of COVID-19, and the rise of crime. These are issues that are in our daily lives."
Zappala, says Dickinson, needs to be more open to reform, while the challenger cannot come across like progressive District Attorney Larry Krasner in Philadelphia, where the perception is crime is out of control.
"Both sides have to be careful how they approach this issue," says Dickinson.
It's possible that more candidates will choose to run, including Republicans. The primary is May 16.
