A ‘Swifties for Helen Gym’ banner will fly over the Taylor Swift concert on Sunday
A group of Latino activists backing Gym for mayor have paid for a plane to fly the banner over the Linc in a final push to get young people to vote Tuesday.
It’s a bird, it’s a plane ... no, wait — it’s a “Swifties for Helen Gym” banner flying over the Taylor Swift concert.
Shortly before Swift takes the stage for the final night of her three sold-out shows at Lincoln Financial Field, the thousands of fans who pack inside and outside the stadium can look up to the sky for a taste of Philly politics.
A group of Latino activists backing Gym for mayor have paid for a plane to fly the banner over and around the stadium sometime between 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday, in a final push to engage more young people to vote in Tuesday’s mayoral primary election — a high-stakes race in which there’s still no clear front-runner.
» READ MORE: Your no-nonsense guide to Philly’s Democratic primary for mayor, Council, and row offices
A poll released last week showed a nearly three-way tie between Gym, Cherelle Parker, and Rebecca Rhynhart, with Allan Domb and Jeff Brown not far behind. One in six likely voters, according to that poll, said they were undecided over who they’d vote for to be the city’s 100th mayor.
The race may come down to a turnout contest among the front-runners’ most reliable supporters — and that includes young people.
“We’re really hoping the flyover makes ‘sparks fly’ and gets people talking,” said Emily Lua-Lua, youth organizer at Make the Road Action in Pennsylvania, a progressive political group backing Gym that advocates largely for Latinos, immigrants, and communities of color. (”Sparks Fly” is a popular Swift hit from 2010.)
“So much is at stake and we’re really hoping young people make their voices heard on Tuesday, because we’re ready for Helen Gym to be mayor,” she said.
Diana Robinson, civic engagement director for Make the Road Action in Pennsylvania, said young people have the opportunity to play a central role in Tuesday’s primary. But young voters, like communities of color, don’t always feel engaged or see themselves represented in the political process, she said.
Robinson’s group works to change that by meeting voters where they are, she said. And what better place to find tens of thousands of mostly young people than at a Swift concert?
“We want them to be engaged in democracy,” she said.
Robinson said many of the issues Gym’s campaign has advocated for, especially when it comes to the conditions of the city’s schools and public education system, impact young people directly.
“She really listens to young people. She goes to where they are and wants to hear from them, listen to them, and knows what they’re going through,” Robinson said. “These young people need to know they need to make their voices heard on Tuesday.”
» READ MORE: Inside the big get-out-the-vote plans ahead of the Philly mayor’s race
Make the Road Action in Pennsylvania is operating as an independent expenditure group and the flyover was not coordinated with Gym’s campaign, Robinson said.
This isn’t the first political flyover the group has done. Last year, they had planes fly banners advocating for John Fetterman for U.S. Senate over Phillies and Steelers games.
The flyover comes on a busy final weekend of “Get Out the Vote” action, with campaigns blanketing the city with folks pitching their case. And on Sunday afternoon, Gym will host a rally at Franklin Music Hall with U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, both of whom endorsed her for mayor.
Staff writer Anna Orso contributed to this article.