Exploring the Complete Rebrand of Alvin Bragg
Alvin Bragg began his time in office amidst turmoil. A shift in political strategy and a victorious case against the president-elect transformed the situation entirely.
TroibNews 
NEW YORK — Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is heading towards reelection with the unexpected advantage of Donald Trump’s legal troubles.
Since taking office, Bragg has been overshadowed by Trump’s criminal case, a situation that reached a milestone on Friday with Trump’s sentencing in the hush money case. While Trump received a minor punishment and can claim a win, Bragg can do the same.
As he enters his fourth year, Bragg has become one of the nation’s most recognizable district attorneys, standing out as the only prosecutor to have convicted a president-elect on felony charges. This period also signifies a rebranding for Bragg, who initially took office as a progressive advocate for criminal justice reform. His current campaign website now emphasizes a focus on combating crime, marking a notable shift from his platform in 2021.
In the upcoming Democratic primary, Bragg faces no challengers, and his Republican opponent is likely to struggle in appealing to voters in the overwhelmingly Democratic borough.
“I’m sure there are plenty of Upper West Siders who cheer him on for maintaining the rule of law,” said Chris Coffey, CEO of Tusk Strategies, discussing the Trump conviction. “I think there are other folks who would say: Hey, shouldn’t our focus be making sure the city is safe? During times when folks feel public safety is the No. 1 concern, I think you see elected officials become more moderate.”
When Bragg assumed office in January 2022, public sentiment in New York shifted from a focus on criminal justice reform to rising crime rates that surpassed pre-pandemic levels. Mayor Eric Adams, known for his lively demeanor, won a crowded primary by emphasizing public safety amid these concerns.
Today, the political landscape has flipped, with Bragg positioned favorably for reelection while Adams faces challenges.
Bragg's approach relies heavily on the NYPD to make arrests that lead to prosecutions. In contrast to Bragg, who followed through on prosecuting Trump, Adams has faced criticism for not delivering on his promise to reduce crime. While murders and shootings have significantly decreased, there has been an uptick in felony assaults and rapes. In fact, major felonies overall have risen by about 20 percent since 2021, when Adams ran on a platform of improved public safety.
In 2022, the climate for Bragg was substantially different.
Shortly after taking office, his memo outlining a decision to stop prosecuting certain low-level crimes and to forgo bail for others sparked immediate backlash, prompting him to quickly reverse course.
Although neither Bragg nor his opponents actively campaigned on targeting Trump, the investigation remained a focal point for both voters and the media. Shortly after his inauguration, Bragg faced criticism when two prosecutors involved in the Trump probe resigned, accusing him of hesitating to advance the case regarding property valuations. One of the prosecutors even authored a book about the ordeal, which Bragg unsuccessfully attempted to block from publication, later stating that the case needed further development.
Bragg's position was precarious, facing pressures from both sides of the political spectrum, until he gained an indictment of Trump on hush money charges in March 2023. This action allowed him to redirect his focus on crime in line with changes within his base of support.
During the 2021 Democratic primary, Bragg received overwhelming support from affluent liberal areas like the Upper West Side and the West Village, which resonated with his progressive promises surrounding policing and criminal justice reform.
“The fight for criminal justice reform is the fight of our times — and it is the fight of my life,” Bragg asserted on his initial campaign website, committing to decreasing mass incarceration and launching a unit to investigate police misconduct.
However, as crime concerns grew in those neighborhoods, they aligned more closely with the worries expressed in Harlem, Bragg’s own constituency, where voters favored Adams' message prioritizing public safety during the 2021 mayoral election.
Bragg has seemingly adapted to this shift.
“Ending the scourge of gun violence is Alvin's top priority,” his current website now states. “He’s brought 20% more gun cases than the previous year; partnered with police to stop the flow of guns into New York City; invested in young people to prevent shootings from happening in the first place; and hosted successful gun buyback events to get these weapons off the streets.”
Throughout his first term, Bragg highlighted several significant achievements, including obtaining a conviction against the Trump Organization, indicting 30 gang members for violence, and taking action against the accused shooter, Luigi Mangione. He has also initiated corruption cases involving members of the Adams administration and questionable donors to the mayor’s campaign.
Bragg's transformation has not come without complications and notable political repercussions for Democrats.
In December, he was unable to secure a conviction in the case against Daniel Penny, who was involved in the chokehold death of Jordan Neely, which was ruled a homicide.
Moreover, while the case against Trump may have improved Bragg’s standing in Manhattan, it has also galvanized Trump’s supporters nationwide. Following the sentencing, Trump used the opportunity to criticize Bragg's office once more.
“Radical Democrats have lost another pathetic, unAmerican Witch Hunt,” he posted on Truth Social.
On a wider scale, Bragg serves as a symbolic target for Republicans.
“He became a national embarrassment, a caricature of woke DAs, and allowed Republicans all over the country to use his image and likeness to demonstrate how much of a disaster liberal criminal justice policies are,” noted New York Council Member Joe Borelli, leader of the council’s Republican caucus. “If [Republican National Committee Chair] Michael Whatley could cut a deal wherein the GOP didn’t run against Bragg in Manhattan, but could run against the idea of Bragg in the other 3,243 counties in America, he would take it in a heartbeat.”
Thomas Evans contributed to this report for TROIB News
Since taking office, Bragg has been overshadowed by Trump’s criminal case, a situation that reached a milestone on Friday with Trump’s sentencing in the hush money case. While Trump received a minor punishment and can claim a win, Bragg can do the same.
As he enters his fourth year, Bragg has become one of the nation’s most recognizable district attorneys, standing out as the only prosecutor to have convicted a president-elect on felony charges. This period also signifies a rebranding for Bragg, who initially took office as a progressive advocate for criminal justice reform. His current campaign website now emphasizes a focus on combating crime, marking a notable shift from his platform in 2021.
In the upcoming Democratic primary, Bragg faces no challengers, and his Republican opponent is likely to struggle in appealing to voters in the overwhelmingly Democratic borough.
“I’m sure there are plenty of Upper West Siders who cheer him on for maintaining the rule of law,” said Chris Coffey, CEO of Tusk Strategies, discussing the Trump conviction. “I think there are other folks who would say: Hey, shouldn’t our focus be making sure the city is safe? During times when folks feel public safety is the No. 1 concern, I think you see elected officials become more moderate.”
When Bragg assumed office in January 2022, public sentiment in New York shifted from a focus on criminal justice reform to rising crime rates that surpassed pre-pandemic levels. Mayor Eric Adams, known for his lively demeanor, won a crowded primary by emphasizing public safety amid these concerns.
Today, the political landscape has flipped, with Bragg positioned favorably for reelection while Adams faces challenges.
Bragg's approach relies heavily on the NYPD to make arrests that lead to prosecutions. In contrast to Bragg, who followed through on prosecuting Trump, Adams has faced criticism for not delivering on his promise to reduce crime. While murders and shootings have significantly decreased, there has been an uptick in felony assaults and rapes. In fact, major felonies overall have risen by about 20 percent since 2021, when Adams ran on a platform of improved public safety.
In 2022, the climate for Bragg was substantially different.
Shortly after taking office, his memo outlining a decision to stop prosecuting certain low-level crimes and to forgo bail for others sparked immediate backlash, prompting him to quickly reverse course.
Although neither Bragg nor his opponents actively campaigned on targeting Trump, the investigation remained a focal point for both voters and the media. Shortly after his inauguration, Bragg faced criticism when two prosecutors involved in the Trump probe resigned, accusing him of hesitating to advance the case regarding property valuations. One of the prosecutors even authored a book about the ordeal, which Bragg unsuccessfully attempted to block from publication, later stating that the case needed further development.
Bragg's position was precarious, facing pressures from both sides of the political spectrum, until he gained an indictment of Trump on hush money charges in March 2023. This action allowed him to redirect his focus on crime in line with changes within his base of support.
During the 2021 Democratic primary, Bragg received overwhelming support from affluent liberal areas like the Upper West Side and the West Village, which resonated with his progressive promises surrounding policing and criminal justice reform.
“The fight for criminal justice reform is the fight of our times — and it is the fight of my life,” Bragg asserted on his initial campaign website, committing to decreasing mass incarceration and launching a unit to investigate police misconduct.
However, as crime concerns grew in those neighborhoods, they aligned more closely with the worries expressed in Harlem, Bragg’s own constituency, where voters favored Adams' message prioritizing public safety during the 2021 mayoral election.
Bragg has seemingly adapted to this shift.
“Ending the scourge of gun violence is Alvin's top priority,” his current website now states. “He’s brought 20% more gun cases than the previous year; partnered with police to stop the flow of guns into New York City; invested in young people to prevent shootings from happening in the first place; and hosted successful gun buyback events to get these weapons off the streets.”
Throughout his first term, Bragg highlighted several significant achievements, including obtaining a conviction against the Trump Organization, indicting 30 gang members for violence, and taking action against the accused shooter, Luigi Mangione. He has also initiated corruption cases involving members of the Adams administration and questionable donors to the mayor’s campaign.
Bragg's transformation has not come without complications and notable political repercussions for Democrats.
In December, he was unable to secure a conviction in the case against Daniel Penny, who was involved in the chokehold death of Jordan Neely, which was ruled a homicide.
Moreover, while the case against Trump may have improved Bragg’s standing in Manhattan, it has also galvanized Trump’s supporters nationwide. Following the sentencing, Trump used the opportunity to criticize Bragg's office once more.
“Radical Democrats have lost another pathetic, unAmerican Witch Hunt,” he posted on Truth Social.
On a wider scale, Bragg serves as a symbolic target for Republicans.
“He became a national embarrassment, a caricature of woke DAs, and allowed Republicans all over the country to use his image and likeness to demonstrate how much of a disaster liberal criminal justice policies are,” noted New York Council Member Joe Borelli, leader of the council’s Republican caucus. “If [Republican National Committee Chair] Michael Whatley could cut a deal wherein the GOP didn’t run against Bragg in Manhattan, but could run against the idea of Bragg in the other 3,243 counties in America, he would take it in a heartbeat.”
Thomas Evans contributed to this report for TROIB News
