Politico: BRAGG CAN BRAG - Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg seems pretty darn popular

BRAGG CAN BRAG: Don’t believe the hype — Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg seems pretty darn popular where it matters, at least according to his own polling. Half of likely Democratic primary voters thought he deserves reelection in 2025 versus 25 percent who said they’d be better off with a new D.A. And that rises to 64 percent thinking he deserves reelection after they hear nice things about him.

That’s according to a poll of 505 Manhattanites commissioned by the Bragg campaign from Beacon Research. Playbook obtained an Oct. 23 memo about the poll, which was conducted mid-September.

But it’s not just a Trump Bump for prosecuting the unpopular former president, claimed Bragg political adviser Richie Fife, when contacted by Playbook. “It matches what we’ve been experiencing at events out in the world. … They see someone who is serious about safety, mental health issues and getting guns off the street.”

Bragg became such a Republican boogeyman for his progressive stances that Lee Zeldin ran a whole statewide campaign on firing him (which wouldn’t be easy).

“This persistent line of attack on him from the New York Post and elsewhere is not accepted by most Manhattanites,” said Borough President Mark Levine — a Bragg ally who the same poll had at 52-15 favorability. “We have a lot of work to do on public safety but we’re making progress, and I give him credit for working hard.” – Jeff Coltin