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Mayoral candidates Cherelle Parker and David Oh will debate on KYW Newsradio

A Parker spokesperson indicated she will likely agree to other debates or forums with Oh during the general election.

Republican David Oh, left, and Democrat Cherelle Parker, right, were City Council colleagues before becoming opponents in the general election for the mayor's race.
Republican David Oh, left, and Democrat Cherelle Parker, right, were City Council colleagues before becoming opponents in the general election for the mayor's race.Read moreTom Gralish / Staff Photographer

Mayoral candidates Cherelle Parker and David Oh will debate each other next month on KYW Newsradio, the station announced Tuesday.

The debate, which will be at 8 a.m. on Oct. 26, is the first and so far only showdown that has been scheduled between the two candidates for mayor ahead of the Nov. 7 general election. KYW gets much of its listenership during rush hour.

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After prevailing over a crowded field in the Democratic primary in May, Parker became the odds-on favorite to become the next mayor thanks to her party’s more than 7-1 voter registration advantage in Philadelphia.

Oh ran unopposed in the GOP primary. Both candidates are former City Council members.

Oh, needing an opportunity to break through in the race, has been pressing for a series of debates, while Parker had been noncommittal up to this point.

Parker stayed out of the spotlight for much of the summer and has only recently began to ramp up her public schedule for the fall campaign.

Parker spokesperson John Dolan indicated the KYW debate will not be the only time the candidates meet up.

“We’re in touch with other organizations, working out the scheduling and logistics for several public events that’ll feature both Mr. Oh and Cherelle,” Dolan said Tuesday.

The winner of the election will replace outgoing Mayor Jim Kenney in January.