Welcome to the messy race to lead Philly
Who’s in, who’s out, and who’s taking the heat.
Welcome to the newsletter that will take you inside the race to become Philadelphia’s 100th mayor. If you’re just tuning in, the gist is that it’s been a crowded and confusing mess so far.
But we in The Inquirer’s City Hall bureau spend all day reporting on this race, and we’re here to help you make sense of it.
After months of watching candidates join the field or flirt with doing so — cough, Michael Nutter — we now have a pretty good sense of who’s in, who’s out, and who’s viable 📈. The field includes six former City Council members, a former city controller, a state representative, a former judge, and a grocer.
Today we’ll get into early talking points, skeptical residents, dinner parties with dead guys, and why you may be bombarded by people with clipboards. 🗓 There are 84 days until the primary. Let’s dive in.
— Anna Orso and Sean Collins Walsh (@anna_orso and @sbcmw)
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Let’s get caught up
It’s actually shocking how many people want to be mayor. The huge field of nine Democrats and one Republican is the largest in years, and it includes four contenders who could make history as the city’s first female mayor.
We don’t have all day, so here’s a few words on what some of the top contenders have been up to:
Grocer Jeff Brown - Reaching out to Black voters ... with mixed results. 🔑
Former Councilmember Allan Domb - Spending boatloads of his own money. 🔑
Former Councilmember Derek Green - Raging against Larry Krasner.
Former Councilmember Helen Gym - Collecting endorsements and fending off attacks.
Former Councilmember David Oh - Just getting started.
Former Councilmember Cherelle Parker - Courting the trades unions. 🔑
Former Councilmember Maria Quiñones Sánchez - Throwing some shade at opponents.
Former City Controller Rebecca Rhynhart - Raising money 🔑 and making plans.
With three months until the May 16 primary, the race is still very much in flux, and all the serious contenders still have viable paths to victory.
Most of the candidates will try to convince residents of Philadelphia’s most challenged neighborhood 🔑 that they can do something mayors before them could not: Fix Kensington.
As our colleague Lynette Hazelton reported last week, weary residents say they’ve seen more broken promises than results.
“I’ve lost faith in plans unless there are actionable steps,” community activist Israel Colón said.
So we’ll be watching for these candidates to release specific plans addressing one of Philadelphia’s most intractable problems, and asking the question: Can 2024 be the year that Kensington residents finally see promises kept?
📮 Are you a Kensington resident who has a question for a mayoral candidate? Let us know, and you may see an answer in an upcoming newsletter. Email us here.
The 45th mayor: Samuel Powel led before and after the Revolution
Many of this year’s candidates will tell you that they want to become mayor because Philadelphia is at a crossroads.
They’re not wrong — but they might draw a chuckle from the ghost of Samuel Powel. He was mayor when Philadelphia hosted the Second Continental Congress and became the capital of a nation in rebellion against a king.
Now that’s a crossroads. So what was Powel’s deal?
Like all the early mayors, Powel was super rich. His grandfather arrived in Philadelphia in 1685, and turned a career as a tradesman into a real estate portfolio.
His time as mayor was broken up into two stints by the American Revolution. He was in office for less than a year when July 4, 1776, came around and his office was abolished. But he returned as the post-colonial mayor after the war.
His family is the namesake of the Powelton Village neighborhood in West Philly.
You can still visit the Powel House. Get ready for stories about dinner parties with guest lists including George Washington, Ben Franklin, and the Marquis de Lafayette.
Guess which mayor we’ll feature next week: His 14 years in office and 16 elections make him the longest-serving and most-elected mayor in Philadelphia’s history. No Googling. Email your guess here.
How candidate petitions work
Prepare to see a small army of people with clipboards begging for your attention, because as of last week, it’s nomination petition season. Filing lists of signatures is how candidates actually get their names on the ballot.
Mayoral candidates have three weeks to gather 1,000 signatures. Expect some to submit more than that, because rivals can challenge each other’s signatures and candidates will want to brag about how much support they have.
We’ll be watching to see if any of the candidates fail to get enough signatures. We’d bet on the ones who haven’t reported raising enough money to pay a staff. 🔑
What we’re reading
There are six types of Philly Democrats. Learn more here about the algorithm that told us so and why it’s a “roadmap” for mayoral candidates. 🔑
Is City Council President Darrell Clarke retiring? Get more here about the potential for a huge shake-up in City Hall.
Lots of people are mad at this gas station. Read on for why housing advocates say the loud opera music it plays at night is problematic.
🧠 Trivia time 🧠
Candidates will be listed on the ballot in a specific order. That order is chosen by drawing names from a...
A) Phillies baseball cap
B) Oversized boxing glove
C) Old coffee can
D) Paper cup from John’s Water Ice
Find out here if you know the answer. 🔑
Scenes from the campaign trail
Grin and bear it? In the photo above, Derek Green greets an attendee at a recent mayoral forum, one of approximately a zillion that will take place before the election.
We’re so glad you joined us for the first edition of The 100th Mayor newsletter. We’ll see you right here next week. In the meantime, we’ll be trying to game out an Eagles Super Bowl LVIII win.
— Anna and Sean