On June 6th, the Green Party of Philadelphia resolved by consensus to nominate lawyer Richard Ash to be its candidate for District Attorney.
GPOP activists gathered over 10,000 nominating signatures, more than twice the required number to place Richard Ash on the ballot in the November general election. Ash's candidacy has been formally challenged by the Republican City Committee in court; the judge's ruling is still pending as of August 16th.
Richard Ash, a Center City trial lawyer, won the Green Party nomination on the basis of his progressive stands on a host of issues. His platform includes the abolition of capital punishment, the decriminalization of drug use offenses, vigorous prosecution of police misconduct, and the compensation of crime victims. Mr. Ash is planning to attract a broad spectrum of voters, particularly those who opposed Lynn Abraham in the Democratic Primary. "People will respect the law when the law respects the people," says Mr. Ash, echoing a theme he used in 1969 when he first ran for District Attorney on the Consumer Party ticket.
A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Law School, Richard Ash has been practicing law in Philadelphia for over 35 years.
As a trial lawyer, he specializes in cases involving employment rights, civil rights, and shareholder rights. He has also been an attorney with Community Legal Services.
A retired Naval officer and World War II veteran, he opposed U.S. involvement in Vietnam and served as a Eugene McCarthy Delegate to the 1968 Democratic Convention.
Politically, Mr. Ash has a long history as a progressive, and he is no stranger to independent politics either. In 1969, he ran for District Attorney of Philadelphia as the Consumer Party candidate.
As the Green Party candidate, Mr. Ash will campaign for equal, fair, and vigorous law enforcement, including:
