A seasoned prosecutor from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office is challenging the current DA, Alvin Bragg.
Diana Florence plans to run as an Independent on the “Safer Manhattan” platform, targeting the incumbent Democrat Bragg in a predominantly Democratic borough.
She sharply criticized Bragg’s “first day memo” issued in January 2022, which directed prosecutors to refrain from seeking prison sentences for numerous criminals and to downgrade certain felony charges related to armed robbery and drug offenses.
Florence, a former ADA under District Attorney Cy Vance, stated, “The law is an order, not a proposal. Now is the time to return common sense to the District Attorney’s Office and leave politics aside.”
However, Florence is not without her own controversies. She left the Manhattan DA’s office in 2020 amid allegations of withholding evidence in several significant cases.
On the Republican side, Maud Maron is running for Manhattan DA, while Bragg also faces challenges from former Bronx prosecutor Patrick Timmins.
Florence previously competed in the crowded Democratic primary in 2021, where Bragg emerged victorious.
This time, she is concentrating on attacking his initial policies.
Some of those policies have since been rolled back following public backlash.
“Manhattan deserves a DA who takes decisive action to restore order and fairness,” she said. “My promise is to bring justice to all communities, ensuring safety at home, work, and on the streets.”
Despite these promises, she has also faced accusations of failing to handle a crucial audio recording in a case against a construction executive accused of fraudulently securing city contracts.
A spokesperson from the Bragg campaign has stated that Florence is unfit for the position.
“Alvin Bragg is an honest, principled, and experienced prosecutor. He has initiated mental health outreach to reduce shootings in the area and holds individuals accountable for their actions,” they argued.
The spokesperson added that Florence created a detrimental work environment at the DA’s office and has a history of misconduct.
Even with these controversies, Florence received a mixed rating from the New York Bar Association during her previous campaign.
She asserts that under her leadership, there would be a strict stance against violent crimes, along with a strong effort to prosecute quality-of-life offenses like shoplifting, vandalism, and trespassing.
“I plan to fight for a Manhattan that isn’t a crime scene where stores leave their products unsecured. This will be reflected in my policies,” Florence emphasized.
She also committed to aggressively prosecuting domestic violence and sexual crimes.
“Bragg’s errors began from his first day memo,” she noted, criticizing his approach of automatically downgrading charges rather than assessing each case individually.
Florence claimed that the office’s social experimentations have made the city safer for criminals while endangering everyone else. It’s become all too common for serious crimes to go unpunished.
She expressed her intention to address hate crimes, including anti-Semitism and anti-Asian violence.
With 25 years of experience as a prosecutor handling a range of cases like street crime, domestic violence, and corruption, Florence has led initiatives such as the nation’s first construction fraud task force.
She successfully prosecuted cases involving corruption, domestic violence, and safety violations following 9/11.
Born in Manhattan, Florence resides in Kip’s Bay with her husband and their two children.
