For only the third time since 1941, Man hattan voters will select a new dis trict attorney; Robert Morgenthau, 90, is stepping down after a historic 35 years in office.
His legacy? Arguably the finest criminal-justice agency in the nation, one that has successfully pursued hundreds of critical prosecutions — not just of violent criminals but in the areas of white-collar crimes and national security, as well.
Three Democrats are running in the Sept. 15 primary to succeed Morgenthau — a race that will be tantamount to election, because the Republicans are not fielding a general-election candidate.
The Post today endorses the candidacy of Cyrus Vance Jr.
To be sure, we find it dismaying that all three candidates seem to be catering to Manhattan’s overwhelmingly left-wing electorate by stressing their “progressive values.” The extraordinary drop in violent crime here over the last 16 years apparently has made New Yorkers feel so safe that they no longer see the need for a tough-on-crime DA.
Vance, like his rivals, worked for Morgenthau as an assistant district attorney; he’s also served in private practice, giving him experience on both sides of the criminal-justice system.
He would stress the office’s existing strengths, like enforcement of quality-of-life crimes, and address the troubling backlog of such cases in Manhattan Criminal Court.
He also would create a unit focusing solely on public corruption — a growing need in New York, sad to say.
His rivals?
* Leslie Crocker Snyder spent 20 years on the bench and earned a well-deserved reputation for being tough on crime. Earlier, she founded the Manhattan DA’s sex-crimes unit and helped write the state’s rape-shield law.
But she has reversed course on several key positions she took four years ago when she unsuccessfully challenged Morgenthau — switches that appear motivated more by political needs than by any genuine change in personal conviction.
* Richard Aborn is a criminal-justice consultant and longtime gun-control activist. But he also is the candidate of the extremist Working Families Party — an endorsement he courted by embracing its hard-left agenda, while essentially turning a blind eye to its sketchy financial practices.
Bottom line?
Bob Morgenthau gave careful thought to the question of who best can carry on the distinguished record of achievement that has marked his historic tenure — and his unhesitating choice was Cy Vance.
That’s good enough for us.
Again, The Post endorses Cy Vance Jr. for Manhattan district attorney.