The progressive wave that had been sweeping big cities across America hit a sea wall in dear old Philadelphia.
Democrat Cherelle Parker is likely to be Philadellphia’s 100th mayor
It is with relief and gratitude that I can say Cherelle Parker will be the 100th mayor of Philadelphia, and the first woman. (Assuming she beats Republican David Oh, and she will.)
She won with an unexpectedly large margin, and this is historic.
Semi-historic was the low turnout, around 26% despite the interest in this race, and about $31 million spent on it. It is amazing and disheartening.
The relief and gratitude I feel is for Philadelphia, as I believe Helen Gym would have been an even worse mayor than Jim Kenney, who can now slink into retirement, perhaps in Madrid, which he seems to like. He has no political future, having burned bridges with friend and foe alike.
I am also grateful that my analysis of this walnut-tight race led me to support Parker as the person best positioned to beat Gym, and I was all about beating Gym. I was joined in that emotion by traditional Democrats who whispered ABG — Anyone But Gym.
I hope this is Ms. Bullhorn’s last political hurrah, but it probably won’t be. In the meantime I suggest she get trained as a social worker to ride with cops who are called to handle mental cases. That would be in her wheelhouse.
Parker ought to think about offering Rebecca Rhynhart the job of managing director, if she would accept it. RR showed guts and brains as controller.
Allan Domb spent a fortune on the campaign and ran a good race. He’s probably shot his load in politics. I would like to see him open a charter school focused on things he cares about — financial literacy, entrepreneurship, trade education. The Domb Charter School would be a better legacy than Condo King.
Jeff Brown can maybe get a catering contract for ShopRite with the Sixers, who need a big shakeup.
Just kidding with that last one.
Parker was not my first choice, but became my best choice to stop Gym. I supported her because I believed she could win and would be an acceptable mayor.
That she didn’t have the courtesy to respond to my invitation to sit down for an interview didn’t affect my thinking. I am used to mayors who don’t talk to me (Jim Kenney, cough cough.)
Thank the Fates and Furies that GYM is not in. It’s strange how a few of them had “stores” on their website for campaign merchandise. However Ms. Parker did not and neither did Rhynhart – however GYM did have a store that is based in TEXAS. Why not a Philly based printer?? Why not one of the “disenfranchised” small businesses in Philly that are either black, female, gay, or whatever owned? Parker as far as I could see ran on her own steam and grass root support because she is from Philly – not a phony. Transplant Marxist in Name Only privileged person such as GYM.
Ding, Dong the Witch is dead, and hopefully can stop thinking Philadelphia is woke, nope, we woke up and stopped what would have been a disastrous mayor who would ruined our city. Goodbye Helen Gym, you are done.
The Woke ain’t over. They are not going away. We must remain alert.
The city council, thanks to so many vacancies because guys like Domb and Oh resigning to run for higher office, is likely lurching leftward with prog frogs winning… people like Rue and Ahmad.
I’m glad Gym lost but 20% is pretty sad. Lower than I thought.
Me too.
Stu
Good call.
1 Down 2 to go
I mean Krasner and Outlaw.
Stu,
You were spot on with your call. And yes, thank God that Helen the Loon lost. And with it, the hope that at least some of the “progressives” will lose heart and disengage from the political process in Philly. But will Ms. Parker make a real attempt at legacy building and take a cue or two from the three other front runner candidates and attempt some real change in our town? Probably not. She is very intertwined with the old guard in this town that favors a steady and tried course for the ship Philly. The status quo that is a poverty rate of about 25%, crippling tax structures, agency inefficiences, bad schools, public parks that are more filthy eyesores than places of peace and retreat, decaying infrastructure and a mediocre economy is very likely not to change.
Is the “old” way always wrong? I feared some of Gym’s “new” ideas. I’ll give Parker a chance to show what she can do.
The ‘old ways’ is what has brought Philadelphia to the state it is in today.
Was Kenney new ways or old ways?
Old ways, disguised as news ways.
I am wheely wheely tickled pink that Gymrat lost,After the sixers devastating performance and thew impending doom of the election(west philly is sea of Gymbelievers) i was feeling lugubrious.Today its Howdy Neighbor!
😄
It is truly a damn shame that only 20% of the registered voters came out. Just shows how much distrust in politicians. People feel they are all alike and nothing changes, no matter who is running.
This is true, and this is a damned shame. Because politicians are NOT all alike and your vote DOES matter. See the sad state of the SCOTUS and their dismantling of decades of progress for women as a clear example of the consequences. Even this very election here in Philly is clear evidence of the important of getting out there. Vote, dammit.
Just horrible. Parker is a minority mayor in more than one sense.
I too was fearful of Gym, as I am any extreme progressive or MAGA candidate. I’m glad my former city, which I still think of as home chose not to follow the direction of Chicago (another city I resided in for 12 years). Parker does have elements of another mayor, whom you referred to as progressive a bit ago, but is in reality not, Eric Adams of New York. Sometimes circumstances overwhelm even the best of executives; I hope Parker is up to the task.
Philadelphia lives! Until the next election, anyway. How sad that 77% of voters refused to get off their keisters to vote for their city’s future. To me this says that (a) voters are lazy and indifferent, or (b) they no longer believe change is possible, that one pol is as bad as the next, so why bother. Either (a) or (b) is really bad for the city (and the nation) going forward. At least the 23% who did vote cast Ms. Gym into the darkness where she belongs.
It also says Republicans can’t vote in a democrat primary.
The pre-election pole revealed Gym as leading the Mayor’s race. Don’t be intimidated by Election Poles. Go out and vote let your opinion matter. Some people believe the Poles are accurate and believe their vote doesn’t matter. Vote it can make a difference. Gym is just getting started in Politics, she is part of a liberal national movement. She will set her sights on congress like her friend (AOC). Gym has time and plenty of money on her side because donors for her cause are from inside and outside of the country. They will contribute to her campaign. Bernie Sanders and AOC’s visit, leads me to believe they will be back to support her congressional run for office.
I’m not so thrilled that Parker won, not at all. But I knew when I went to vote that she was the best chance to beat Gym – who would have finished stuffing this city into hell. Far left progressive political agendas have proven from coast to coast that the only results are chaos and rising violent crime. So, I voted for Parker to increase that chance. Hopefully – hopefully she’ll do a far better job than Kenney who I’ve always suspected didn’t want to be mayor and I truly hope she has the guts to go toe to toe with Krasner.
Your reason for voting for Parker are the same as mine.
Why do you refer to these socialists as progressives?
Everywhere they have taken power has gotten worse.
I just got back from going to Yankess Stadium on the D train. NYC is 3rd world.
I simply refer to them as regressives.
I don’t call them socialists until they call themselves socialists. But I do suggest their mind set.
I am weary of Parker because she spends a lot of time harping on her gender and color. Identity politics have never resulted in a productive Mayor’s office (look at Chicago, Baltimore, DC, and SF).
Parker needs to remember that nobody gives a damn what she IS, but we need to rely on what she DOES (other than drinking and driving in her city car).
Parker could be good.
Gym could never be good.
But I’ll be voting for Oh in November.