Philadelphia Democrats Clash: 5 things to know about the mayoral race

Amid major public safety concerns, education and the direction of a major American cityPhiladelphians will take a big step toward electing their 100th mayor on Tuesday in a contest with implications that will reverberate on a crucial presidential battlefield.

The winner of Tuesday’s Democratic primary will almost certainly become the mayor of Philadelphia — the largest city in Pennsylvania, a leading presidential swing state — and race spending reflects that stake. The busy and increasingly bitter mayoral contest is the most expensive in the city’s history, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Five contenders are widely regarded as the leading Democratic candidates: former city councilors Helen Gym, Cherelle Parker, and Allan Domb; Rebecca Rhynhart, a former city administrator; and Jeff Brown, who possessed grocery stores.

Mrs. Parker, Mrs. Rhynhart, and Mrs. Gym are often considered the strongest, but the race is fluid and highly competitive. Sparse polls show that there are many undecided votersand some Democrats are concerned about low voter turnout, factors that make the outcome difficult to predict.

Here are five things you should know about Tuesday’s primary.

It is a test – however imperfect – of progressive strength.

Nearly two years ago, left-wing Democrats were bitterly disappointed in New York when the relatively moderate Eric Adams stormed into the Gracie Mansion with a message of law and order.

But since then, mayoral candidates identified with the party’s more liberal wing have scored other notable victories, including Michelle Wu in Boston and Karen Bass in Los Angeles. Last month, Brandon Johnson, a left-wing Chicagoan, thrilled progressive Democrats across the country with his mayoral victory.

The Philadelphia mayoral race offers the next important, if imperfect, citywide test of progressive power. Some of the same players who competed in other major races including Senator Bernie Sanders And Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, teachers’ union activists and organizations like the Working Families Party — support Ms. Gym. Mr Johnson endorsed her on Friday.

She is a seasoned community organizer with a particular focus on schools, promising to deliver “transformative” change.

“My opponents think my plans are too big,” she says said in an ad. “I think their ideas are too small.”

Mr. Sanders and Mrs. Ocasio-Cortez do expected to rally Sunday with her. In an interview, Mr. Sanders attempted to link the candidacies of Mr. Johnson, Ms. Bass and Ms. Gym.

“What Karen and Brandon and hopefully Helen will be able to do,” said Mr. Sanders, himself the former mayor of Burlington, Vt. is, “is to say, ‘You know what? This government, our governments, work for you, not just for wealthy campaign workers.’”

A low voter turnout or narrow margin of victory in either direction can make it challenging to draw sweeping conclusions about the mood in the city, but many observers see Ms Gym’s candidacy as a remarkable test for the left.

“If Helen wins, that’s a big story because it means the progressive movement won,” said former Governor Ed Rendell, a former Philadelphia mayor who in support of Mrs. Rhynhart.

Philadelphia could elect its first female mayor.

Philadelphia’s mayors so far have at least one thing in common: they’ve all been men.

“Let’s say I’ll give a different touch,” Ms. Parker, a former state representative, said in a statement. campaign ad that highlights images of some of those who would be her predecessors.

Ms. Parker, who has advocated for a stronger police presence while emphasizing her opposition to police abuse, has often used her identity as a mother of a young black man to claim she can strike the right balance in terms of public safety.

“I am a black woman who has lived my real life at the crossroads of race and gender,” said Ms Parker, who has the support of part of the party establishment, in an interview. “I know what it feels like to be marginalized.”

And Ms. Gym, who could also be the city’s first Asian-American mayor, has called herself a “tough Philly mom” — but she made it clear that the historic potential of her candidacy was part of a much broader argument.

“It’s really important that change is more than just a change of faces,” Ms. Gym said. “People want a transformation of how people live.”

Ms. Rhynhart, building on her government experience while pledging to address the status quo as a critic of the current mayor, took a similar approach.

“There have been 99 male mayors,” she said. “It’s an important time, and probably a long time ago, to have a woman as the leader of our city. But I am focused on being the best overall leader.”

The city’s self-image is also at stake.

No one doubts the pride many Philadelphians feel in their city, the birthplace of the nation’s democracy and home to aggressively devoted sports fans.

But several current and former city leaders said the city’s challenges are related to issues all around crime, education and other post-pandemic concerns had taken a significant toll on morale.

The people of Philadelphia, State Representative Malcolm Kenyatta said, are looking for someone “who can kind of bring the city back — I think almost in an emotional way.”

The current mayor, Jim Kenney, made headlines last year for declaring he would be “happy” when he finished as mayor, comments he later tried to backtrack.

“The mood in the town is desperate – a lot of people have given up,” Mr Rendell said. “For many people, it’s the last chance to turn it around.”

Mr. Rendell was elected mayor in 1991, at a time of crisis for the city. Mr. Domb drew parallels between that race and the present moment.

“This is a turning point election,” he said.

The next mayor could be a prominent player in the 2024 presidential election.

When President Biden wants to exude patriotism, talk about the future of American democracy, or simply expect a warm welcome, he often heads to Philadelphia, a city he knows well as a former senator from nearby Delaware.

There will be a natural opening for the next Democratic mayor of Philadelphia to serve as a party surrogate as Mr. Biden pursues re-election. from Philadelphia lower turnout rates Democrats have also disappointed in recent federal elections, and a number of candidates pledged in interviews to focus on turnout and voter access as mayors.

The success or failure of the next mayor to run the city could be noticed by Republicans, said Representative Brendan Boyle, a Pennsylvania Democrat who supports Ms. Parker.

“If we have a Democratic mayor in Philadelphia who isn’t doing well or isn’t popular, that makes winning in the Philadelphia metro area more challenging,” he said. “That’s something Republicans would definitely use statewide.”

Public safety is the dominant issue.

On Monday, there was a recruiting agency working with a progressive political organization fatally shot after a dispute with another canvasser with the group – a stunning moment that underlined how problems with gun violence form the city and the mayoral race.

“Public safety is pretty much everyone’s number 1,” said former mayor Michael Nutter, who supports Mrs Rhynhart.

While the full crime photo in Philadelphia is complicatedleading candidates have made it clear that they see and have it as the greatest strength in the contest moved assertively Unpleasant address it in advertising.

Some ever opposite An increase in police funding after the murder of George Floyd have struck vastly different tones when discussing law enforcement this primary competition, and there is broad agreement across the ideological spectrum on the need to fill job openings in the police force, while candidates also denounce police abuse .

Certainly, there are also notable differences in emphasis and policy. Mr. Brown has approved by the Philadelphia Police Union.

“The most pressing concern is crime, and especially violent crime,” he said. “Philadelphia is really not doing well.”

Candidates differ on how to balance investments in social services with those in law enforcement, and some have clashed police detain citizens.

“We cannot go back to racist, unconstitutional practices,” Ms Rhynhart said. “But we can’t have the current chaos.”