Philadelphia Voters Give Wins To Williams, Butkovitz
By Dan Wing
PHILADELPHIA (CBS/AP) — Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams and Controller Alan Butkovitz have defeated their Republican challengers in a sign of the power of incumbency and a nearly 7-1 Democratic edge in citywide voter registration.
Williams beat GOP challenger Daniel Alvarez, a former assistant district attorney, while Butkovitz won against Republican Terry Tracy, a retail business manager.
Williams, who was unopposed for the Demoratic nomination, got a second four-year term as the chief prosecutor in Pennsylvania's largest city.
With 95 percent of the vote in, Williams had over 80 percent compared to just 19 percent for his Republican challenger.
It was smooth sailing for Williams in his bid for re-election. The Democrat never had less than 77 percent of the vote, giving Republican challenger Daniel Alvarez little to no shot in a largely Democratic city. In his victory speech, Williams pointed to an 18 percent reduction in shootings and a 30 percent drop in homicides this year as a sign that things are changing for the better in Philadelphia but work still needs to be done.
"I need all of you for the next four years to help me further prevent crime. To give more people a second chance. To spare more people from senseless violence," Williams said.
Williams thanked the people of Philadelphia for giving him a chance to prove that they could suppress violence in the city while also giving more people a second chance.
"And a criminal justice system in Philadelphia that was once broken is now seen as an innovative leader in finding solutions to prevent crime. So I'm very thankful," Williams said.
Butkovitz, who won a three-way primary contest, was re-elected to his third term.
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