Sharif Street won’t challenge fellow Philly Democrat Brendan Boyle for Congress

Pennsylvania’s new congressional map is out and State Sen. Sharif Street, after mulling the new district lines for half-a-day, has decided against a primary challenge to U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle, a fellow Philly Democrat.

Street was telling supporters Thursday morning about his decision, according to a source close to the senator, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to comment publicly.

That caps a year of flirtations with higher office by Street, son of former Mayor John Street and vice chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party. He started exploring a run for U.S. Senate last April before saying in January that he’d take a pass.

Plenty of political insiders wondered then if Street was building a federal fund-raising account to challenge Boyle as the district lines were being drawn.

» READ MORE: Is the new Pa. congressional map better for Democrats or Republicans? We tested it.

Street, as Democratic chair of the Senate State Government Committee, negotiated for months with Republicans about a potential compromise congressional map that may have created boundaries favorable for a challenge. That map was not formally introduced.

Boyle’s district was largely unchanged in the new map. He finished 2021 with almost $2.2 million in his campaign account, while Street had just $114,000 in the bank.

Boyle, who in December tested his strength in his Northeast Philly-based district against Street in a poll, announced his bid for a fifth term on Thursday. Street, now in his second term, is up for reelection in 2024.

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