2 more candidates enter race to unseat Philadelphia district attorney

Philadelphia’s second-term District Attorney Seth Williams is facing a growing field of opponents in his re-election effort this year, including four from his own party.

Two more candidates hoping to unseat Williams, a Democrat, joined the race Monday, bringing the number of political opponents to five.

Former Philadelphia Assistant District Attorney Michael Untermeyerannounced his candidacy for the Democraticnomination.

Beth Grossman, also a veteran of the prosecutor’s office, is the first Republican to throw her hat in the ring, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

Untermeyerserved four years in the Philadelphia Office of the District Attorney, and another 11 years with the state’s Office of the Attorney General. His experience spans cases involving money laundering and asset forfeiture, narcotics investigations andviolations of the state liquor laws under former Gov. Ed Rendell. Prior to working in Philly, Untermeyerwas a trial attorney in the New York City Law Department.

He has worked in private practice since 2004, and is currently with Center City firm Lyman & Ash.

Untermeyer has expressed an interest in reforming the city’s bail system through lower-cost innovative measures, curbing the city’s drug trade and fatal overdose rate by charging heroin dealers with homicide and imposing a “zero tolerance” policy on possession of illegal handguns, the Inky reported.

Grossman is also in private practice with Nenner& Namerow and has a background in public service.

She has served as chief of staff to the commissioner of the city Department Licenses and Inspections, and spent more than two decades as an assistant district attorney, as well as five years as in-house counsel in the office.

Grossman announced her candidacy through a video posted to YouTube yesterday.

“Philadelphia needs a district attorney who is not afraid of trying creative solutions,” she said in the video, addressing bail reform.

Recalling her childhood on Kensington Avenue, Grossman said she wants to focus on “quality of life issues and public nuisances.”

Untermeyerjoins three Democrats, former Philadelphia managing director Rich Negrin, former Assistant District Attorney Joe Khan and Judge Teresa Carr Deni of the municipal court, in the race for the party nomination.