Alvin Bragg, poised to next Manhattan DA, out to prove he's up to the task
NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- In the high profile race for Manhattan District Attorney, Alvin Bragg is on track to become the Democratic nominee and the man likely to replace Cy Vance.
Bragg will face Republican challenger Thomas Kenniff in the general election, but in the heavily Democratic borough, the 47-year-old is odds on favorite to win and become the first African American to hold that job.
"I've had a knife to my neck, I had a semi-automatic gun to my head, and I've had a homicide victim on my doorstep," Bragg said. "All growing up in Harlem."
Bragg's only remaining opponent in the Democratic primary, former federal prosecutor Tali Farhadian Weinstein, conceded on Friday, leaving him the last man standing.
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He has a story like few other prosecutors: A victim of stop and frisk who has worked 20+ years on police reform.
"That's why I went to law school," he said. "Growing up, I had these experiences of being stopped at gun point three times by police in unconstitutional stops."
Bragg inherits the investigation into former President Donald Trump and his business holdings.
On Thursday, prosecutors charged the Trump Organization and its Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg -- and it may be just the beginning of legal trouble for the former president.
ALSO READ | Trump Organization, CFO Allen Weisselberg plead not guilty to tax fraud charges
On Monday, Bragg didn't want to talk much about Trump. But he wanted to assure voters he knows what he's doing.
He went to Harvard Law School, he's gone after Trump charities before, he prosecuted former state Senate leader Malcolm Smith, and he helped go after Harvey Weinstein.
But by far, Trump will be Bragg's biggest case.
"Is the next person capable? I think that's a fair question, and one that I've answered by pointing to my experience," he said. "But without talking about what we don't know, which is where is this headed, the facts that aren't in the public domain...I can't talk about this."
Bragg also promises to bring a sense of fairness to the DA's office, and besides his career as a prosecutor, he's also represented Eric Garner's family in seeking justice.
If, as expected, Bragg wins in November, then he'll take office in January and immediately take over the Trump investigation.
WATCH | When will we know who wins NYC's mayoral primary?
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