Main Preview: Metropolis Council shakeup looms as candidates vie for open seats

A minimum of 4 new members – and probably extra – will be part of Metropolis Council when elected leaders are sworn in early subsequent 12 months.

Recent faces are getting a chance on the legislative physique thanks largely to the six council members who resigned to enter the mayor’s race.

Democrats, particularly, may have a whole lot of selections to make Tuesday, with greater than two dozen at-large hopefuls on the poll and several other contested district races.

For the at-large seats, that are elected citywide, get together members will probably be requested to choose as much as 5 candidates to advance to the overall election.

Two of the seven at-large slots are reserved for representatives from minority events. Whereas they’ve historically been Republicans, Kendra Brooks, of the Working Households Get together, presently holds one of many seats and is operating for reelection. Progressives are additionally aiming to choose up the opposite following the resignation of David Oh. Third get together candidates will seem on the poll in November.

Democratic At-Massive

Derwood Selby: A TV and radio host on public entry shops, he instructed the Committee of Seventy that his prime priorities can be gun violence, schooling and financial improvement.

Sherrie Cohen: An legal professional and LGBTQ activist who has unsuccessfully run for council a number of occasions, she mentioned in an interview with PhillyCAM that she would search to scale back mass incarceration and poverty.

Qiana Shedrick: A U.S. Military veteran, her Fairly Peaceable Productive, or PPP, platform focuses on cleaner streets, decreasing crime and enhancing metropolis companies.

Jalon Alexander: A cybersecurity legal professional and Strawberry Mansion native, he believes public colleges want to extend STEM programming, and he has made headlines for his thought to make use of drones as a crime-fighting device.

Luz Colón: A lifelong Kensington resident who has labored for 3 council members and Gov. Tom Wolf, her marketing campaign is prioritizing public security, financial alternative and colleges.

Wayne Dorsey: He fell brief in a 2019 bid for council at-large, and, this time round, he’s specializing in psychological well being, schooling, neighborhood clean-ups and housing.

Deshawnda Williams: Often called “Dr. Dee,” she is a pastor and social employee who desires to extend entry to psychological well being therapy and beautify neighborhoods.

Melissa Robbins: A Northeast Philadelphia-based racial justice advocate, her platform contains increasing dwelling possession, eliminating tuition on the Neighborhood School of Philadelphia, and implementing avenue cleansing.

Amanda McIllmurray: A co-founder of Reclaim Philadelphia, a progressive political group, she desires to institute hire management to guard tenants and believes tough-on-crime insurance policies destabilize neighborhoods. She has been endorsed by the Working Households Get together and AFSCME District Council 47, amongst others.

Abu V. Edwards: A political organizer concerned with the native NAACP, he desires to enhance 911 response occasions, totally fund town’s Board of Ethics and help minority- and woman-owned small companies.

Rue Landau: A housing legal professional and former director of town’s Fee on Human Relations, she would prioritize serving to residents restore their properties and enhance the variety of violence interrupters. Landau has obtained the endorsement of the native Democratic Get together and a number of progressive teams and elected officers.

Ogbonna Paul Hagins: An environmental activist and entrepreneur, he helps an elected Board of Schooling, growing a Inexperienced New Deal for town, and diminished property tax charges for older householders.

Erika Almirón: As the previous govt director of Juntos, she advocated on behalf of the rights of immigrants. She would push for progressive tax insurance policies and housing for all residents. Almirón has been endorsed by the Philadelphia Federation of Academics and District Lawyer Larry Krasner, amongst different organizations and people.

Nina Ahmad: She served as deputy mayor for public engagement underneath the Kenney administration and was narrowly defeated within the 2020 race for state auditor normal. Ahmad believes the entire metropolis’s challenges are “rooted in well being.”

Charles Reyes: Most just lately a coordinator at one of many Kenney administration’s group colleges, he would advocate for funding cell disaster models to scale back violence, and he helps strengthening town’s Workplace of Workforce Improvement.

Donavan West: The previous head of the regional African American Chamber of Commerce, West helps increasing Group Violence Intervention to scale back shootings and bolstering faith-based organizations to foster group improvement.

NaDerah Griffin: She instructed the Committee of Seventy that addressing crime and violence via schooling, psychological well being and employment initiatives can be her prime precedence.

Jim Harrity: A Kensington resident, he was elected to council final 12 months after being picked by Democratic Get together leaders as a nominee in a particular election. He believes the state of affairs in his neighborhood is unacceptable and that town ought to assist get drug customers off the road and into therapy. Harrity has sturdy union help, together with from the Constructing Trades Council.

Eryn Santamoor: A former chief of workers to Allan Domb, she is taking her second crack at operating for council at-large. Santamoor desires to develop group security plans for each police district and helps continued decreases to the wage tax. Town’s Democratic Get together has endorsed her.

George Stevenson: In a Committee of Seventy questionnaire, he mentioned he would work towards making metropolis departments extra aware of residents and assist seniors restore their properties.

John B. Kelly: A finance skilled and son of a former council member, he desires to transition PGW to cleaner vitality and put civilians in workplace jobs to get extra cops onto the road.

Curtis Segers III: An assistant principal at Mastery’s Mann Elementary Faculty and an Olney resident, Segers instructed PhillyCAM he believes the funding method for metropolis colleges must be reconsidered.

Katherine Gilmore Richardson: Earlier than being elected to council 4 years in the past, she served within the workplace of former Councilmember At-Massive Blondell Reynolds Brown. Amongst different organizations, she is endorsed by the Philadelphia Democratic Get together and Constructing Trades Council.

Michelle Prettyman: A trainer, she helps city-wide avenue cleansing and want to broaden a forgivable mortgage program for these trying to open or broaden a enterprise.

Job Itzkowitz: The previous chief of the Outdated Metropolis District and a Level Breeze resident, he would advocate for turning city-owned vacant tons into inexpensive housing, and he believes Philadelphia’s trash assortment system needs to be up to date with standardized containers.

Christopher Gladstone Sales space: An educator and former federal authorities worker, Sales space desires to encourage elevated trainer range, scale back town’s carbon footprint and promote Philadelphia’s historical past and tradition.

Isaiah Thomas: A powerful proponent of youth sports activities, he’s aiming to be reelected to his second time period as an at-large member. His “Driving Equality Invoice” prohibited officers from conducting site visitors stops for a number of minor non-moving violations. Thomas has a broad vary of institutional and progressive help.

Republican At-Massive

Frank Cristinzio: A lifelong resident of the Kensington space, he labored in manufacturing and in upkeep for the Philadelphia Parking Authority earlier than launching his marketing campaign. He’s a supporter of constitution colleges and opposes secure injection websites. Cristinzio is backed by the native GOP.

Gary Grisafi: A Northeast Philadelphia musician and music trainer, he instructed the Committee of Seventy that his priorities can be strengthening prison legal guidelines and decreasing taxes. Grisafi has additionally been endorsed by the Republican Get together.

Drew Murray: He beforehand served as president of the Logan Sq. Neighborhood Affiliation and believes it’s time for “legislation and order” to return to town. He additionally opposes the soda tax and needs to lower the wage tax. Murray is supported by the get together.

Jim Hasher: He runs an actual property enterprise and owns Jimmy’s Timeout Sports activities Pub in Torresdale. He would push to crack down on catalytic converter thefts, unlawful weapons, filth bikes and ATVs. The native GOP has endorsed Hasher.

Mary Jane Kelly: A hostess at Residents Financial institution Park and former courtroom clerk, she lives within the Far Northeast. She is a part of the Philadelphia Republican Get together’s slate of candidates.

Sam Oropeza: A former skilled boxer and MMA fighter, he would prioritize safer neighborhoods, high quality schooling and accountability. He instructed the Committee of Seventy that he’s a political outsider not afraid to upset get together politics.

seventh District – Democratic

Quetcy Lozada: She gained a particular election final 12 months after being nominated by get together leaders as soon as Maria Quiñones Sánchez resigned to run for mayor. Beforehand, she was employed by Esperanza and served in Sanchez’s council workplace.

Andrés Celin: A former social employee and group organizer, he desires to extend entry to housing and therapy for drug customers. Celin additionally helps zoning guidelines that mandate builders embody inexpensive housing.

eighth District – Democratic

Seth Anderson-Oberman: A labor organizer, he approaches violence from a public well being lens; desires lawmakers to prioritize inexpensive housing; and believes group needs to be concerned in shaping improvement tasks. He’s endorsed by the Working Households Get together, together with different progressive teams.

Cindy Bass: She is searching for a fourth time period and eyeing the chamber’s prime job as council president. If reelected, Bass desires to give attention to public security, preserving property taxes inexpensive for residents, and decreasing blight. She is endorsed by the native Democratic Get together and Transport Staff Native 234, amongst others.

ninth District – Democratic

Yvette Younger: At present director of services for the Pottsgrove Faculty District, her platform contains repairing growing old public colleges, addressing environmental issues and investing in group policing.

Anthony Phillips: Get together management selected him as their nominee in final 12 months’s particular election to interchange Cherelle Parker. A youth advocate, Phillips believes in growing instructional alternatives and rebuilding industrial corridors. The native Democratic Get together is supporting his marketing campaign.

James Williams: He co-founded the Uptown Normal group newspaper and beforehand labored in Councilmember David Oh’s workplace. He desires to carry gun outlets accountable for unlawful gross sales and ban ski masks. Williams additionally advocates for putting in water filtration methods in colleges and companies.

Uncontested races

Incumbent Democrat Mark Squilla is unopposed within the 1st District, and no Republican will probably be on the poll in November. The identical is true for Kenyatta Johnson (2nd District), Jamie Gauthier (third District) and Curtis Jones Jr. (4th District), all of whom are operating for reelection.

A number of candidates filed to run within the North Philadelphia-based fifth District to interchange retiring Council President Darrell Clarke, however solely Jeffrey “Jay” Younger Jr., an legal professional and Democratic committeeperson, survived petition challenges.

Mike Driscoll, of the sixth District, is trying to be elected to his first full time period after successful a particular election final 12 months to interchange Bobby Henon, who was convicted on federal corruption fees. He will probably be unopposed within the main and normal elections.

Longtime Republican Councilmember Brian O’Neil (tenth District) is searching for reelection. In November, he’ll face Democrat Gary Masino, chief of Sheet Steel Staff Native 19.