The Bronx’s incumbent District Attorney Darcel Clark, the first female and Black DA first elected in 2015, easily fended off a challenge from lefty criminal defense attorney Tess Cohen in the Democratic primary contest with around 90% of the vote in, preliminary vote tallies showed Tuesday night.
Clark captured 73% or 19,397 votes to 27% or 7,167 votes for Cohen.
Cohen is a former attorney who worked in the Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor. She ran to Clark’s left, hammering her on the issue of Riker’s Island. Although she boasted about representing sexual assault victims, the New York Post revealed she also has a history of defending sexual harassers.
Despite the easy win, Clark is not immune from her critics. Under her leadership, state data revealed the Bronx DA’s office had the worst conviction and dismissal rates in New York.
She also faced criticism from rank-and-file assistant district attorneys who threatened a walkout last year, protesting alleged terrible working conditions.
