Abraham is sometimes regarded as having been among the United States' "deadliest" prosecutors because she sought and obtained the death penalty more frequently than most district attorneys.

[citation needed] She served as the head of the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority during the administration of Mayor Frank Rizzo.

Abraham held the office of district attorney longer than anyone else in Philadelphia history, during which time she saw 108 capital sentences returned.

[11] In the 2004 presidential election, Abraham served as one of Pennsylvania's electors, casting her ballot for John Kerry.

[6] In 2015, Abraham ran for Mayor of Philadelphia in 2015 and finished third among six candidates in the Democratic primary.

[6] In 2017, Abraham applied to serve as interim district attorney following the resignation of Seth Williams, who had pleaded guilty in a federal corruption case.