Cy Vance wins Manhattan prosecutor primary

[September 16, 2009]  NEW YORK (AP) -- Defense lawyer and political scion Cy Vance is poised to become Manhattan's first new district attorney in 35 years after winning Tuesday's Democratic primary for one of the nation's most coveted prosecutor's jobs.

The primary essentially decided the race to replace the retiring Robert Morgenthau, as there is no Republican running. Democratic contender Richard Aborn has secured the Working Families Party line on the November ballot but has said he will support the Democratic nominee.

Vance, the son of former Secretary of State Cyrus R. Vance, had 44 percent of the vote in the three-way race, with 99 percent of precincts reporting. Former judge Leslie Crocker Snyder had 30 percent. Aborn, a gun control advocate, had 26 percent. All three candidates were assistant prosecutors for Morgenthau more than 20 years ago.

"I am so proud to have won this primary, and I am looking forward to serving you," Vance told supporters at a victory party, with the 90-year-old Morgenthau at his side.

The candidates competed for one of the nation's busiest prosecutors' offices, with more than 500 lawyers. Its cases can range from corporate fraud to celebrity misdeeds, and it serves as a model for television's "Law & Order" franchise.

In a race that came with city crime rates near historic lows, Vance stressed his balance of courtroom and policy perspective and his "measured, fair approach" to criminal justice.

"The next district attorney has to have the judgment and experience to ensure both safety in our streets and fairness in our courtrooms," Vance, 55, said during a WABC-TV debate Sunday.

He noted his recent service on state sentencing policy panels in New York and Washington state, where he spent much of his career as a criminal defense lawyer and civil litigator before returning to New York in 2004.

His plans for the DA's office include assigning prosecutors to focus on offenders with mental health problems and tasking teams of prosecutors to individual police precincts to drill down on crime patterns and prevention.

But his campaign also emphasized his boldface backers, including Morgenthau, Caroline Kennedy and the city's three major newspapers.

The slate of supporters made the difference for Sharda Laier, a jewelry designer who voted for him.

"Everybody endorsed Cy Vance. He's been pushing hard, as well," she said.

Morgenthau has held office since 1975. He succeeded 32-year incumbent Frank Hogan.

Morgenthau was widely seen as still smarting from Snyder's 2005 attempt to unseat him.

[Associated Press; By JENNIFER PELTZ]

Associated Press writer Deepti Hajela contributed to this report.

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