Two More Candidates Join Philly District Attorney Race

Democrat Michael Untermeyer and Republican Beth Grossman, both former assistant district attorneys, will run against embattled incumbent Seth Williams – and three other competitors.

Philly District Attorney Race

L: Beth Grossman via Youtube | R: Michael Untermeyer via Twitter

Two former assistant district attorneys have joined the Philly District Attorney race, bringing the total number of competitors to six – including two-term incumbent Seth Williams

Democrat Michael Untermeyer and Republican Beth Grossman both entered the race yesterday.

Untermeyer, a 65-year-old lawyer and real estate developer from New York, ran for District Attorney as a Republican in 2009. He spent several years in the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office under then-District Attorney Ed Rendell and 11 years in the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, where he led the asset forfeiture and money laundering section of the Philadelphia office of the drug law division.

Grossman, 48, is a Philadelphia-native who worked in the District Attorney’s office for 21 years, starting in 1983 under then-District Attorney Lynn Abraham. In a campaign video released yesterday, Grossman references controversies surrounding Williams, including his belatedly-reported $160,150 in gifts from 2010 to 2015. Grossman also attempts to appeal to African-American, immigrant and LGBTQ communities and says she chose to run as Republican because “the city needs a change.”

Untermeyer and Grossman join former city managing director Rich Negrin, former federal prosecutor Joe Khan and former Municipal Court Judge Teresa Carr Deni, all Democrats, in the race against Williams.

Follow @ClaireSasko on Twitter.