Diana Florence, a seasoned prosecutor, is storming back into Manhattan’s legal arena, gunning for District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s job in 2025.
The New York Post reported that Florence is running as an independent on the “Safer Manhattan” ticket, promising to ditch what she calls Bragg’s soft-on-crime playbook. Buckle up—this race is already a brawl.
Florence, who spent 25 years battling street crime, fraud, and corruption, resigned from the Manhattan DA’s office in 2020 after a messy scandal.
She’s now challenging Bragg, whose “Day One” memo she slams as a criminal’s get-out-of-jail-free card. Her campaign is a loud rebuke of woke justice experiments.
Back in 2020, Florence stepped down amid allegations she withheld a damning audio recording in a major corruption case targeting construction executives. The accusations painted her as reckless, costing her a clean exit from the DA’s office. Yet, she’s dusting off the dirt, claiming she’s the cure for Manhattan’s crime woes.
Florence isn’t a rookie—she led the nation’s first construction fraud task force and secured convictions against 9/11 charity scammers.
Her resume boasts wins in domestic violence, wage theft, and corruption cases. But that 2020 evidence scandal still looms, a shadow she can’t quite shake.
In 2021, Florence ran in the Democratic primary for DA but lost to Bragg. Now, she’s sidestepping the party machine, running as an independent to “restore order and fairness.” Her mantra? “The law is a command, not a suggestion.”
Florence’s platform is a middle finger to Bragg’s policies. She vows zero tolerance for violent crime and pledges to hammer quality-of-life offenses like shoplifting and vandalism. She’s tired of toothpaste being locked behind plexiglass.
Bragg’s “Day One” memo, which told prosecutors to downgrade felonies and avoid prison sentences, sparked outrage and some reversals after public backlash.
Florence calls it a “social experiment” that turned Manhattan into a criminal’s playground. She’s not wrong—coddling crooks rarely ends well.
“DA Bragg’s failure started from the very beginning,” Florence said. She argues his blanket downgrading of charges—felonies to misdemeanors, misdemeanors to nothing—emboldened lawbreakers. Actions have consequences, and Manhattan’s streets are feeling them.
Bragg’s campaign, through spokesman Richard Fife, fires back, claiming he’s reduced shootings by 45% and stood up for victims. “Alvin Bragg is an honest, principled prosecutor,” Fife said. Sounds nice, but numbers don’t erase the perception of chaos.
Florence isn’t alone in the race—Maud Maron, a former public defender, is the Republican candidate, and Patrick Timmins challenges Bragg in the Democratic primary. It’s a crowded field, but Florence’s independent run aims to cut through the noise. She’s betting voters want a DA who swings hard.
“Manhattan deserves a DA who will take decisive action,” Florence declared. Her promise? Prosecute domestic violence, sex crimes, and hate crimes with unrelenting force. No wonder she’s pitching herself as the anti-woke warrior.
Florence’s critics, like Fife, aren’t letting her past slide. “Diana Florence resigned in disgrace,” he said, pointing to her evidence scandal and alleged toxic work environment. That’s a hefty bag of baggage for any campaign to carry.
Born in Manhattan and raising her family in Kips Bay, Florence says she’s fighting for a safer borough. “I’m going to fight for a Manhattan where stores aren’t locking up toothpaste,” she quipped. It’s a jab at the petty crimes Bragg’s critics say he’s ignored.
Florence’s “Day One Memo” will reportedly flip Bragg’s on its head, prioritizing prosecution over leniency. “It’s time to bring common sense back,” she said. In a city fed up with revolving-door justice, that might resonate.