PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — After his resounding primary election win, Philadelphia's incumbent district attorney, Democrat Larry Krasner, might be expected to turn his attention to Republican opponent Chuck Peruto. Instead, he is treating a victory in November as a foregone conclusion.
Despite a voter turnout of less than 20% in the primary, Krasner says his policies have a mandate for a second four-year term.
"The first term of three and a half years is over, and the second term of four and a half years is starting right now," Krasner said on the KYW original podcast "Flashpoint."
"I don't take him seriously," Krasner said of defense attorney Peruto. "And I don't want to be discourteous or impolite, but anybody who's familiar with how he's lived his life, much of it heavily reported, is aware that we are not dealing with a serious issue."
Peruto's response abruptly shifted focus from policy to personal tragedy.
"I can only tell you there wasn't a scintilla of evidence that I had anything to do with Julia Law's death, as I was 80 miles away," he said.
In 2013, Julia Law, a 26-year-old paralegal whom Peruto was dating, was found dead, face down in a bathtub, in his Rittenhouse Square mansion. Peruto is reported to have been with his family at the Jersey Shore at the time of her death, and the Philadelphia district attorney at the time said there was no evidence of foul play.
"But I understand Larry truly believes in the presumption of innocence — like hell," Peruto continued. "Larry cares more about people who are convicted by a jury and getting them out of jail than conducting anything about my life in a fair fashion."
A section of the "About me" page of Peruto's campaign website, "The Girl in my Bathtub," is dedicated to the tragedy.
"If Larry Krasner thinks I'm unfit because someone passed away, that's really a shame. He doesn't think anyone should oppose King Krasner," Peruto said.
Krasner says he believes the deck is dramatically stacked against Peruto, solely because on the voter base in Philadelphia.
"The city has seven Democrats for every one Republican," Krasner said.
"Strangely large numbers of people in the Republican Party wrote in a candidate rather than vote for Mr. Peruto [in the May 18 primary]. It's remarkable."
Hear more of the exchange — plus reaction from across the city about what Krasner's victory means for the future — on "Flashpoint," Saturday at 9:30 p.m. and Sunday at 8:30 a.m. on 103.9 FM, and on the "Flashpoint" podcast.