Too early to declare who won 8-way primary for Manhattan DA

NEW YORK (AP) — On TV dramas, cases brought by the Manhattan district attorney usually wrap up in about an hour. Figuring out who’s likely to be the borough’s next district attorney in real life will take a bit longer.

A winner in the Democratic primary for the high-profile prosecutor job glamorized on shows like “Law & Order” wasn’t immediately clear Tuesday night.

Alvin Bragg, a law professor and former top deputy in the New York attorney general’s office, was locked in a close race with former federal prosecutor Tali Farhadian Weinstein. Six other Democrats in the race trailed further behind.

Bragg led, but tens of thousands of absentee ballots remained to be counted, preventing The Associated Press from calling the race.

In heavily Democratic Manhattan, the party’s primary is all but certain to determine who succeeds the current district attorney, Cyrus Vance Jr., who is leaving office at the end of the year.

There’s a good chance Vance’s successor will inherit his ongoing criminal investigation into former President Donald Trump and his businesses.

The candidates say they’re not afraid of taking on Trump, but they’ve also been cautious not to appear to be prejudging the case. Vance’s office has spent two years looking at hush-money payments, property valuations, tax strategies, executive compensation, and other dealings.

Aside from the former president, the next district attorney will have to grapple with concerns over rising street crime and ongoing debates about criminal justice and the role of prosecutors.

Michael R. Sisak, The Associated Press