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Mayoral race: Candidates and voters still matter



This is the most expensive mayoral election in history but also the second open race where the biggest spending hasn’t guaranteed results. In 2015, the candidate with massive super PAC backing lost by 30 points; and in 2023, the two candidates with the biggest war chests behind them performed the worst among the frontrunners. Post-election analyses have also shown that working-class voters and Black and Latino voters, many of whom endure the city’s challenges most acutely, determined the Democratic primary winner. Many of these voters can’t write checks to candidates, nevertheless they made themselves heard.

But…Two qualified candidates—Derek Green and Maria Quiñones Sánchez—had to drop out because they couldn’t raise enough money to compete. That’s troubling, and the next mayor and City Council would do well to assemble a task force to assess options for leveling the post-Citizens United playing field.

No hard feelings: An Inquirer photographer snapped many smiles at the “unity breakfast” mayoral nominee Cherelle Parker hosted for her campaign rivals. “All of us are Democrats,” she told them. “That’s why it was so essential for you all to be with us…I can’t do this without you.”

Philly judicial elections: Qualified candidates win primaries

For the third consecutive election cycle, all the winners in Philly’s Common Pleas and Municipal Court primaries were rated “Recommended” or “Highly Recommended” by the Philadelphia Bar Association. Perhaps not coincidentally, top Common Pleas vote-getters Natasha Taylor-Smith and Tamika Washington had the first two positions on the 16-candidate ballot. But Taylor-Smith was also one of four “highly-rated” candidates, none of whom finished lower than sixth. “These results debunk the idea that the election of judges in Philadelphia is solely a function of ballot position,” said Matt Olesh, chair of Bar Association’s Campaign for Qualified Judges. “Voters care about the candidates’ backgrounds and professional experience, and want to make an informed choice.”

Overlapping endorsements: Eight of the 10 Common Pleas winners were also endorsed by the Democratic City Committee and the one Municipal Court candidate who didn’t get the party nod lost.

Similar story for higher courts: The party-endorsed candidates recommended by the Pennsylvania Bar Association prevailed in the primaries for appellate court seats. Expect the fall general election to draw substantial outside spending as the parties vie for influence in the judiciary.

Left to right: City Commissioners Lisa Deeley (D), Omar Sabir (D), and Seth Bluestein (R).

Photo: Philadelphia Inquirer

Confirmation marathon: Acting Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt, C70’s former CEO, was questioned for three hours by state Senators on topics ranging from mail-in ballots and drop-box security to the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), a multi-state consortium that shares data to help keep voter rolls updated. Watch the hearing.

“All hands on deck”: Votebeat follows the “bipartisan, collaborative leadership” in Columbia County as officials banded together to gain the public’s trust and assist its two-person election staff in running smooth elections.

Campaign donation caps in Allegheny: A bill to create new contribution limits to candidates passed County Council with a veto-proof majority.

Shakeup in Montco: The Inquirer reports that Democratic Party leadership lost a bit of its grip last week as an insurgent took out a party-endorsed County Commissioner candidate and “disrupted party leaders’ plans for an orderly candidate selection process."

Are government officials’ personal social media posts public records? Not necessarily. Spotlight PA reports on a recent Commonwealth Court ruling that makes it harder to access them through the state’s right-to-know law.

When will the campaign signs go away? Campaigns must remove them from public property in Philly, but there are no deadlines and enforcement is lax. The Inquirer reviews the rules. 

Women in Public Leadership Event

Tuesday, June 6, 8:30 AM - 10:30 AM

Kimmel Center, 300 S. Broad St.

The Committee of Seventy’s Second Annual Women in Public Leadership event features a timely and important conversation on the vital role the media plays in a democracy. Dr. Kerry Sautner, Chief Learning Officer for the National Constitution Center, will moderate the discussion between Errin Haines, Editor-at-Large and Founder of the 19th*; Lisa Hughes, publisher & CEO of The Philadelphia Inquirer; and Sarah Glover, VP of News & Civic Dialogue at WHYY to discuss their path to leadership, how news organizations can strengthen democracy, and the challenges and opportunities their industries face in light of the heightened partisanship facing our nation. C70 will also honor renowned civic leader, Sharmain Matlock-Turner, CEO of the Urban Affairs Coalition, for her tireless work advancing social and economic justice, promoting voter engagement, and advocating for the rights of marginalized communities. Individual tickets are $250 and can be purchased here.

Elevating Civic Literacy in PA for a Brighter Economic Future

Tues., June 13, 11 AM

Zoom



C70 joins Business for America in hosting this webinar to give businesses an opportunity to learn how they can assist in elevating civic literacy in schools and communities to enhance both the economy and our democracy. Panelists include Former U.S. Rep.Jim Gerlach and CEO of Greater Reading Chamber Alliance; PA Youth Vote executive director Angelique Hinton; and Arielle Jennings, the chief partnerships officer at Generation Citizen. Register.

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