Cherelle Parker has ‘reunion’ in Harrisburg ahead of state budget deal

HARRISBURG — Cherelle Parker took time Tuesday to catch up with some old friends.

The Democratic nominee for Philadelphia mayor spent the day meeting with Democratic and Republican legislative leaders — some of whom she worked with previously and some whom she met for the first time. She also met with the Philadelphia delegation in Harrisburg and Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, as part of an effort to improve the city’s relationship with its state lawmakers.

Parker is running against Republican David Oh in November and is heavily favored to become the city’s next mayor and its first female mayor, given Philadelphia’s heavily Democratic electorate. She’s also a former state legislator who spent a decade in Harrisburg before her election to Philadelphia City Council. She would be the first Philadelphia mayor to have served in the General Assembly before being chosen as mayor since the late James H.J. Tate, who was mayor from 1962 to 1972.

“It felt like a reunion for me,” Parker said of her visit.

It’s not unusual for mayors from the state’s biggest cities to make visits to Harrisburg to lobby lawmakers, or for former state legislators to visit their old colleagues. But it’s uncommon for a Democratic nominee to make an appearance before the general election, and it suggests that using her experience in Harrisburg to work closely with state lawmakers will be a big part of Parker’s administration strategy if she is elected in November.

“Hopefully, when she’s successful in the general [election], that she will have a presence up in Harrisburg,” said Rep. Morgan Cephas (D., Philadelphia), who chairs the city’s delegation in the Capitol.

Parker said she wanted to take the day to thank legislative leaders for what they will do for Philadelphia as part of the upcoming state budget, which must be passed by Friday.

“Now is one of the toughest times in the Pennsylvania General Assembly, because this is where the rubber meets the road,” said Parker, having stayed up with her former colleagues for late budget votes in the past.

She said she wanted legislative leaders to know that if she’s elected, she will speak up about Philadelphia’s needs.

“Everything that we do is built on relationships,” Parker said. “And, quite frankly, we have to be willing to let everyone know that we need everyone. It doesn’t reduce me to tell you that I need you. We need you. Our city needs you.”

She also will lean on her legislative reputation as a strong bipartisan partner on issues and she said she would “help to improve the quality of life for our commonwealth.”

Most important, she wants Philly and Harrisburg’s relationship to shift away from being crisis-oriented.

She said she has a new vision for the relationship between the state’s largest city and the Pennsylvania legislature: “It is consistent. It is organic. It is systemic, and we communicate on a weekly basis.”

House Minority Leader Bryan Cutler (R., Lancaster) said he had a brief conversation with Parker during her visit and noted that they maintained a good working relationship across the aisle when she served in the state House.

“I know what she ran on in terms of crime prevention, and other areas traditionally we’ve been supportive,” Cutler said. “So I look forward to working with her in whatever capacity we can.”

After her primary election last month, a number of House and Senate state lawmakers said her reputation for working across the aisle is well-known in Harrisburg.

While she said she was taking a day off the campaign trail, she was still pushing her mayoral platform: “safer, cleaner, greener, and economic opportunity for all.”

She did not, however, expand on specific policies for which she lobbied lawmakers.