Working Families Party Backs Aborn in D.A. Race
Richard M. Aborn is guaranteed a line on the ballot in the general election for Manhattan district attorney regardless of the outcome of the Sept. 15 Democratic primary after picking up the endorsement yesterday of the Working Families Party. Mr. Aborn is battling two other Democrats in the primary: Cyrus R. Vance Jr. and Leslie Crocker Snyder. In a statement, Dan Cantor, executive director of Working Families, called Mr. Aborn a “progressive, proactive” candidate. The party endorsed Mr. Morgenthau in 2005. Dan Levitan, a spokesman for the party which picked up 17,000 Manhattan votes in last year’s presidential race, would solicit votes for Mr. Aborn in the primary as well as in the general election. “We have proven our ability to send [party] organizers into the community to deliver a candidate’s message,” Mr. Levitan said in an interview. However, the Aborn campaign said that he would support whoever wins the primary in November. Also yesterday, Mr. Aborn picked up the endorsement of the Association of Legal Aid Attorneys. Deborah Wright, president of the local chapter of the union, said in a statement that Mr. Aborn has “the right vision” for the office. While no candidate has been endorsed by the Manhattan Democratic Party, Mr. Aborn has the most club and elected-official support to date ( NYLJ, May 26). In response to Mr. Aborn’s latest endorsements, Mr. Vance said in a statement that he was “surpris[ed] given my background and experience.” He added that he thought the endorsements were not “reflective of the commitment to fairness in our criminal justice system, based upon my personal and professional experience, that I share with lawyers in this city or of the voices of all working men and women in Manhattan.” Ms. Snyder did not respond to requests for comment. All three candidates have worked as prosecutors under Mr. Morgenthau, who announced in February he would not seek a tenth term. - Vesselin Mitev
