The inside story of how Trump united a city of activists to elect the most progressive district attorney in a generation

Courtesy of Cathie Berrey-Green/BG Productions Photos & Video

Philadelphia district attorney-elect Larry Krasner celebrates at the William Way LGBT Community Center in Philadelphia, PA on November 7, 2017.

• Civil-rights attorney Larry Krasner won the race for Philadelphia's district attorney on in a blowout.
• Krasner's big victory can be traced to massive canvassing and get-out-the-vote operations by local activists and organizers.
• Many of Philadelphia's progressive organizations formed a coalition after the election of President Donald Trump to maximize their impact on local politics.

By the time Larry Krasner entered the William Way LGBT Center in Philadelphia Tuesday night, his victory party had already become something like a family reunion.

The ballroom was packed, sweaty with supporters. Dotted around the room were the local activists who led canvassing efforts that helped drive the civil-rights attorney to a landslide victory in the Philadelphia district attorney's race.

Todd Wolfson, a veteran local organizer, looked around the room and shared glances with many of the city's community leaders. Each one seemed to say, "Look what we accomplished. We made this happen." Moments later, Krasner stepped to the podium for his victory speech.

"This is not another story about kings and queens. This is a story about a movement," Krasner told the ecstatic crowd. "This is what a movement looks like."

Talking with activists in the city, there is a clear sense that his victory is theirs. And the path to that victory began with the election of President Donald Trump last November.