Your guide to the Philly mayor's race and the Nov. 7 election

The most high-profile election on the ballot, if not the most competitive, is the mayor’s race. Mayor Jim Kenney is prohibited by the Home Rule Charter from seeking a third consecutive term, and this year’s election will decide who will take office as his successor in January. The winner will become Philadelphia’s 100th mayor.

What’s the mayor’s role?

The mayor is essentially the chief executive officer of city government. He or she oversees the various city agencies, from the Police Department to the Office of Homeless Services, and appoints their leaders. The mayor influences the agenda of City Council by proposing bills, vetoing legislation, and having members of the administration testify at hearings. The mayor also serves as the face of the city on a national and global stage.

What else is on the ballot and what’s on the line?

In addition to the mayor’s race, this year’s municipal election includes all 17 City Council seats, the city commissioners, the city controller, the sheriff, and the register of wills. There are also judicial races on the ballot, including an important election for a Pennsylvania Supreme Court seat.

When is the election and how do I vote?

The election is Tuesday, Nov. 7. Those who are not registered to vote must do so by Oct. 23 to vote this year. Click here to find out how to register online or by mail. Philadelphians can vote in person or by mail. The deadline to apply to vote by mail is Oct. 31. Click here to apply for a mail ballot.

Who’s on the ballot and what do I need to know about them?

DEMOCRAT 🐴

Cherelle Parker

Parker, 51, is a former state legislator and City Council majority leader. She grew up and still lives in Northwest Philadelphia. Parker endured a difficult childhood and lost her mother at a young age. Her life changed when she won a high school oration contest that made headlines and led to her being introduced to Philadelphia politicians who took her under their wings.

Key facts:

• Parker has pitched herself as a champion of Philadelphia’s “middle neighborhoods,” working-class enclaves that are neither desperately poor nor well-resourced. Such neighborhoods have been shrinking across the nation in recent years, and Parker wants to bolster them in part by improving city services.

• Parker is running on a tough-on-crime platform, calling for the city to hire hundreds more police officers and defending the controversial policing tactic known as stop-and-frisk.

• Parker is a protégé of former Councilmember Marian Tasco and a product of the famed Northwest Coalition, a Black political organization that is influential in Philadelphia politics.

• If she wins, Parker will be the first woman to become mayor of Philadelphia.

REPUBLICAN 🐘

David Oh

The son of Korean immigrants, Oh, 63, grew up and still lives in Southwest Philadelphia. He is a lawyer, an Army veteran, and a former City Council member.

Key facts:

• Oh has an unusually diverse base of supporters for a Philadelphia Republican. During his three successful Council campaigns, he won significant amounts of votes across the city, instead of primarily drawing from the conservative areas of the Northeast and South Philadelphia.

• Oh is a moderate Republican, and he has clashed with the GOP establishment in Philadelphia during his campaigns and while in Council.

• Oh, a former prosecutor, has focused on public safety during the campaign and is calling on the city to hire more police officers and reduce 911 response times. He has criticized progressive District Attorney Larry Krasner for not filing charges or seeking more aggressive sentences in certain cases, and threatened to withhold funding from his office.

• Oh would be Philadelphia’s first Asian American mayor if he wins. He would also be the first Republican to win a Philly mayor’s race since 1947.