The Knapp fallout and a primary challenge from William vanden Heuvel led to speculation that Hogan would not seek a ninth term in office. However, he surprised observers by running in the 1973 election. Vanden Heuvel's campaign message was that the city needed someone new in the district attorney's office. Several days before the election, the New York City Bar Association gave vanden Heuvel an "unqualified" rating, which may have affected his support. In the end, Hogan won with a two-to-one edge in votes.