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Despite embarrassing voter turnout, Philadelphia government is changed
A little roundup of yesterday's primary highlights.
Despite embarrassing voter turnout, Philadelphia government is changed
*~~~*STEPHANIE SINGER BEAT CITY COMMISSIONER MARGE TARTAGLIONE*~~~~*
That's the biggest news from yesterday, but not the only news.
The primary might not, on the surface, look like much of a voters' revolution. Turnout was terrible — shameful, embarrassing, inexcusable, and all that — and the election was, largely, an incumbent-fest:
- The top vote-getters for Democratic Council At-Large (as of late-night Tuesday) were the five incumbents: Bill Green, Bill Greenlee, Wilson Goode, James Kenney and Blondell Reynolds Brown.
- Nutter won easily (duh).
- Only one incumbent Council member — Maria Quinones-Sanchez — faced a serious challenge, and won handily in the end.
And yet, in some ways, the election was a revolution:
- The victory of Quinones-Sanchez, who lost the backing of local ward leaders, over Frankford ward leader Dan Savage could be seen as Latino voters rallying to ensure representation despite efforts to redistrict them into four separate districts.
- Stephanie Singer, candidate for City Commissioner, smashed forever-incumbent Marge Tartaglione.
- As of late Tuesday night, Al Schmidt, Republican candidate for the same position — and part of an insurgency within the Republican party — had come within less than a half percentage point of incumbent Joseph Duda and will appear on the ballot with him in November.
- John Featherman, another Republican insurgent who's not backed by Republican party bosses, had also come within less than half a percentage point of beating the establishment candidate, Karen Brown.
- David Oh won first (then Rep. Denny O'Brien, Joseph McColgan, Al Taubenberger, and Michael Untermeyer) in the Republican At-Large vote, helping to oust Frank Rizzo, a Rizzo.
Nail Biters:
- At-Large candidate Sherrie Cohen came close, but not close enough (so far — apparently some votes still haven't come in) to oust W. Wilson Goode, Jr., who won the fewest votes of an incumbent in that race.
- 2nd Council District candidates Barbara Capozzi and Kenyatta Johnson were neck and neck all night. Johnson has emerged on top so far — by fewer a hundred votes — but Philly Clout is reporting that Capozzi hasnt conceded yet.
The moral: Even with a shameful, crappy, embarrassing turnout, Philadelphians can change the establishment, reshape government and make a difference. The city's still run by party bosses, yes — but yesterday proves it doesn't have to be.
