Time To Pick Philly’s 100th Mayor

It’s almost a foregone conclusion that the 100^th Philly Mayor will be a woman. Three of the highest-polling Democratic candidates are women, and it’s a tight race. The Democratic nominee will almost certainly win in November.

Helen Gym holds a 3-point lead with 20.5 percent over Rebecca Rhynhart and Cherelle Parker, tied at 17.7 and 18.2 percent, respectively.

The only other candidate remotely in the striking range is Allan Domb, with 13.6 percent, but many view him as a spoiler more than a contender.

Shoprite owner Jeff Brown, who started the race as a front-runner, has found himself polling in the margins with only 10.4 percent after a series of scandals bordering political malpractice.

But with turnout expected to be low Tuesday, it’s the margins where this race will be won or lost. One in six Philadelphians remains undecided and up for grabs between now and Tuesday.

If recent polls are accurate, Brown and Domb could chip at Cherelle Parker and hand the election to Helen Gym, or Rebecca Rhynhart could chip at the progressive and the youth vote and give the election to Cherelle Parker.

A third possibility is that either Domb or Brown step out of the race, and their voters end up split between the one left and Parker. If Domb stays in and Brown jumps out, Domb could become an actual contender.

The top Democratic contenders are pulling out the stops in the final weekend before voting wraps up on Tuesday.

Gym’s grassroots army is canvassing Mount Airy and other hot spots in N.W. Philly. On Sunday, May 14th, Former Progressive Presidential Candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders and  U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) will hold a rally for Gym at the Franklin Music Hall in Callowhill from 3:30 to 7 pm.

“The wealthy, the establishment, have the money, but we have the people, and we’re out here proving that a people-powered movement can win,” said Gym. “We knocked on more than ten thousand doors just today; we’re going to keep knocking on doors until election day to get people out to the polls.”

Unions backing Brown and Parker criticized the Gym campaign and Sanders for holding their rally at a non-union venue on Friday. This morning, the two sides reached a deal with Gym promising to help the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 8 end their dispute with the venue.

“We reiterate that our public request to move her rally to a unionized performance venue was genuine and not a political stunt,” said Michael Barnes, president of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 8. “We appreciated Ms. Gym’s outreach and candor.”

Rebecca Rhynhart is ensuring her canvassers are hitting every section of the city over the next three days putting boots on the ground in South, West, North West, North East, Fishtown, and Center City. Those boots aren’t just those of volunteers either. She’s also making sure she is out there, with her schedule showing she plans to be at each canvasing rally if not knocking on doors herself.

“A little rain wasn’t going to stop us today; just one of our canvassing teams knocked on over five thousand doors,” said Rhynhart. “We had fifteen teams out today. I stopped at several locations; we’re pushing to get the word out about our vision for the city.”

Cherelle Parker is heading up a “Pep Rally” today from 3:30 to 7 pm at the Carpenters Benefit Hall, highlighting her union and Democratic establishment support.

“We were out in West Philly today with Cherelle Parker and her team; we’re pushing through,” said State Senator Vincent Hughes, representing the 7^th district covering portions of Philadelphia and Montgomery County. “We think she can win, and we’re going to pound the streets until Tuesday; this city needs Cherelle.”

On Tuesday, May 16th, Philadelphia will choose its vision of the future through its vote for the progressive candidate Helen Gym, the data-driven, compassionate technocrat Rebecca Rhynhart or the status quo of Cherelle Parker. No matter which of these highly qualified candidates Philadelphians pick, a woman will undoubtedly be at the top of the ticket to run against David Oh in November.

And she will help push progressive candidates throughout Philadelphia’s elected offices, from City Council, City Controller, and the courts to City Commissioner and Sheriff.

AGREE? DISAGREE? We appreciate your feedback on the video and our recap here. 🗣️🧠🙏 Please speak your mind in the comments below. Pro Tip: click the links in this post for more information.

🗳️ YOUR VOTE MATTERS THIS MAY! 🗳️

Please make your plan for Election Day, May 16th. See the Philadelphia Citizen for candidate info and voting locations in your area.

*** BONUS VIDEO***

For our readers in District 8, where the City Council race is potentially headed for an historic upset with progressive challenger Seth Anderson-Oberman gaining momentum against incumbent Cindy Bass, the darling of failed development from the Democratic machine whose tenure has been marred by scandals and Federal fraud charges.

Seth’s final remarks from last week’s dramatic debate highlight his people-powered platform that’s been energizing neighbors in NW Philly since he announced his candidacy in March. After years of watching Cindy’s breath-taking negligence/incompetence, we could not be more thrilled at the thought of a new day for Germantown (and beyond).

The mayor’s race is very important, but in Philadelphia “councilmanic prerogative” means your District Council also has an enormous amount of power, controlling all the public land deals and development projects in your area. Choose wisely, voters! 🙏🧠  (Again, please click the links for more scoop & backstory.)