[caption id="attachment_148671" align="alignnone" width="767"] Alvin Bragg speaks to his supporters in Harem after his projection to win Manhattan DA was announced November 2, 2021. Photo: Ryland West/ALM[/caption] Manhattan is set to have its first Black district attorney in 2022 after voters brought a decisive victory to Democrat Alvin Bragg, the Associated Press announced shortly after polls closed Tuesday. Bragg won more than 83% of the vote with nearly all precincts reporting in unofficial results, according to the New York City Board of Elections. He defeated Republican Thomas Kenniff, an Iraq war veteran and founding partner of the criminal defense firm Raiser & Kenniff, in the general election after winning a crowded Democratic primary in June. Bragg, a former New York state chief deputy attorney general, has promised an array of changes to the district attorney's office, with an emphasis on reducing the number of people incarcerated. "Not just in Manhattan, but around the country, our system is rife with racial disparities. We're going to shut those down and close those," he said during his acceptance speech at Harlem Tavern. Bragg said he plans to move quickly to address gun violence in the city and the "humanitarian crisis" at Rikers Island. "In addition to being the first Black district attorney, I think I'll be the first district attorney who's had the police point a gun at him," he said. "I think I'll be the first district attorney who's had a homicide victim on his doorstep. I think I'll be the first district attorney of Manhattan who's had a semi-automatic weapon pointed at him. I think I'll be the first district attorney who's had a loved one reenter from incarceration and stay with him, and I'm going to govern from that perspective." He added that he plans to bring in the perspective of people who've survived hate crimes and sexual assault to improve the office's handling of those crimes, along with his other initiatives, which include an overhaul of the conviction review unit and the creation of a siloed "Police Integrity Unit." Bragg's resume includes a stint in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, along with the state attorney general's office. He has emphasized his experience with complex white-collar matters as he prepares to take over incumbent District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr.'s case against the Trump Organization, which pleaded not guilty to a first-degree scheme to defraud, among other offenses, in July. Attorneys for Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg, who has pleaded not guilty to second-degree grand larceny, have hinted that more indictments may be coming in the case as the DA's office continues to investigate the former president's business activities. Bragg said he got a congratulatory call from Vance Tuesday night. "Cy has already proven to be a tremendous partner in what I think is going to be a seamless transition," he said. Earlier in his career, Bragg worked in private practice, focusing on criminal defense and civil rights. He has frequently discussed how his view of the criminal justice system was shaped by his experience growing up in Harlem, where he still lives. He first had a gun pointed at his head by a police officer when he was 15 and has cited the incident as one reason he decided to become involved with criminal justice reform as an adult. Bragg is also a visiting professor and co-director of the Racial Justice Project at New York Law School. Read more: Read the Indictment: Trump Organization, CFO Charged With Financial Crimes in Manhattan Alvin Bragg on Path to Be Next Manhattan DA After Tali Farhadian Weinstein Concedes Primary Race In Manhattan DA Primary, Alvin Bragg Maintains Narrow Lead Over Tali Farhadian Weinstein in Unofficial Results