2023_Philadelphia_City_Council_elections

2023 Philadelphia City Council election

2023 Philadelphia City Council election

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The 2023 Philadelphia City Council elections was held November 7, 2023 for elections of all seats in the Philadelphia City Council. The Democratic Party maintained its super-majority on the council. The election took place on the same day as the 2023 Philadelphia mayoral election and other local elections in the Commonwealth.

Quick Facts 17 Seats on the Philadelphia City Council 9 seats needed for a majority, First party ...

Background

In 2019, Philadelphians re-elected Jim Kenney to a second term as mayor and 4 new councilmembers joined the city council. Katherine Gilmore Richardson and Isaiah Thomas were elected to at-large seats. Jamie Gauthier beat incumbent Jannie Blackwell in the District 3 primary and Kendra Brooks made history as the first third-party city councilmember in Philadelphia as a Working Families Party candidate.

In preparation for the 2023 Philadelphia mayoral election, 4 City Councilmembers resigned (Green, Domb, Parker, and Quiñones-Sánchez) to run or prepare to run for mayor. While 3 were still considering running (Gym, Oh, and Bass). Council President Darrell Clarke announced a special election to replace the members.

6th District Councilmember Bobby Henon resigned after being convicted of corruption charges and was replaced with Michael Driscoll. 2nd District Councilmember Kenyatta Johnson was facing bribery charges in the months leading up to the election, but was acquitted on November 2, five days before Election Day.[1]

1st District

Incumbent Mark Squilla is running for re-election.

Democratic primary

Nominee

Withdrew

Results

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Republican primary

Results

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General election

Results

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2nd District

Incumbent Kenyatta Johnson is running for re-election.

Democratic primary

Nominee

Disqualified

  • Aaron Humphrey, campaign manager[6][7]
  • Boogie Rose, community activist and former teacher[8][7]

Results

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Republican primary

Results

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General election

Results

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3rd District

Incumbent Jamie Gauthier is running for re-election.

Democratic primary

Nominee

Disqualified

  • Mustafa Majeed, community activist[10][7]

Withdrew

  • Jabari Jones, trade association president[11][12] (running as an Independent)[13]

Declined

Endorsements

Jamie Gauthier
Organizations
Political parties

Results

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Republican primary

Results

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Third party and independent candidates

Disqualified

General election

Results

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4th District

Incumbent Curtis J. Jones Jr. is running for re-election.

Democratic primary

Nominee

Disqualified

  • Darrel Smith Jr., child welfare worker[6][7]

Declined

Results

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Republican primary

Results

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General election

Results

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5th District

Incumbent Darrell L. Clarke is retiring. Clarke announced his retirement less than two weeks before the deadline to submit ballot petitions, in what media interpreted as an attempt to prevent state senator Sharif Street's preferred candidate from making the ballot. However, both Clarke's and Street's preferred successors failed to make the ballot, as did every other candidate except for one.[19]

Democratic primary

Nominee

Did not qualify

Withdrew

Declined

Endorsements

Curtis Wilkerson (disqualified)
Local officials

Results

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Republican primary

Results

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General election

Results

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6th District

Incumbent Michael Driscoll is running for re-election.

Democratic primary

Nominee

Results

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Republican primary

Did not qualify

Results

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General election

Results

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7th District

The 7th district seat was filled by Quetcy Lozada in the 2022 special election. Lozada is running for re-election.

Democratic primary

Nominee

Eliminated in primary

  • Andrés Celin, community organizer[29]

Endorsements

Andrés Celin
Organizations
Quetcy Lozada

Results

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Republican primary

Did not qualify

Results

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General election

Results

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8th District

Incumbent Cindy Bass is running for re-election.

Democratic primary

Nominee

Eliminated in primary

  • Seth Anderson-Oberman, community organizer[14]

Declined

  • Erika Almirón, candidate for an at-large seat in 2019[14] (running for an at-large seat)[31]

Endorsements

Seth Anderson-Oberman
State legislators
Newspapers
Organizations
Political parties

Results

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Republican primary

Results

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General election

Results

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9th District

The 9th district seat was filled by Anthony Phillips in the 2022 special election. Phillips is running for re-election.

Democratic primary

Nominee

  • Anthony Phillips, incumbent councilor[28][18]

Eliminated in primary

Endorsements

Anthony Phillips

Results

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Republican primary

Withdrawn

Results

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General election

Results

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10th District

Incumbent Brian J. O'Neill is running for re-election.

Republican primary

Nominee

Did not qualify

  • Roman Zhukhov, real estate professional and neighborhood watch group president[26][18]

Results

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Democratic primary

Nominee

Results

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General election

Results

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At-Large Seats

Philadelphia City Council has seven at-large seats, two of which must be represented by a minority party. Two at-large seats were temporarily vacant due to the resignations of Derek S. Green and Allan Domb to consider mayoral runs. They were filled in the special election on November 8, 2022. There will be three open seats in the 2023 election due to the resignations of Helen Gym and David Oh, and the retirement of Sharon Vaughn.

Each party may nominate five candidates for the general election. Voters can select up to five candidates in both the primary and general.

Democratic primary

Advanced to general election

Eliminated in primary

  • Erika Almirón, community organizer and candidate for an at-large seat in 2019[14][31]
  • Jalon Alexander, attorney[31]
  • Sherrie Cohen, former tenants rights attorney and independent candidate for an at-large seat in 2019[35][31]
  • Luz Colón, former commissioner of the Governor's Advisory Commission on Latino Affairs (2015–2023)[31]
  • Wayne Dorsey[18]
  • Abu Edwards, political action chair of the NAACP Philadelphia chapter[31]
  • Christopher Gladstone Booth, public school teacher[31]
  • Ogbonna Hagins, activist[31]
  • Job Itzkowitz, director of Old City District[31]
  • John Kelly III, biomedical company CFO and son of Jack Kelly Jr.[31]
  • Amanda McIllmurray, cofounder of Reclaim Philadelphia[3][31]
  • Matthew Modzelewski, customer service professional[31]
  • Daniel Orsino, housing counselor and Republican nominee for the 1st district in 2019[31][36]
  • Michelle Prettyman, educator and small business owner[22][31]
  • Charles Reyes, former Philadelphia Department of Education official[37]
  • Melissa Robbins, activist and Vice President of Advocacy and Public Policy at the Urban League of Philadelphia[18]
  • Eryn Santamoor, former chief of staff to then-councilor Allan Domb[38][31]
  • Curtis Segers, assistant elementary school principal[31]
  • Derwood Selby[18]
  • George Stevenson[18]
  • Donovan West, business owner and former CEO of the Pennsylvania African American Chamber of Commerce[31]
  • Deshawnda Williams[18]

Did not qualify

Withdrawn

  • Michael Galvan, nonprofit executive and former Philadelphia Director of Education Policy[40]

Declined

Endorsements

Nina Ahmed
U.S. representatives
Newspapers
Erika Almirón
Organizations
  • Reclaim Philadelphia (co-endorsement with Gilmore Richardson, Landau, McIllmurray, and Thomas)[15]
  • Make the Road Action in PA (co-endorsement with Thomas, Robbins, and Landau)[43]
Political parties
Job Itzkowitz
Newspapers
Katherine Gilmore Richardson
Newspapers
Organizations
Political parties
Jim Harrity
Political parties
Organizations
  • PASNAP (co-endorsement with Thomas, Robbins, Gilmore Richardson, and Edwards)[46]
Rue Landau
State legislators
Local officials
Organizations
  • Reclaim Philadelphia (co-endorsement with Almirón, Gilmore Richardson, McIllmurray, and Thomas)[15]
  • Make the Road Action in PA (co-endorsement with Thomas, Robbins, and Almiron)[48]
Political parties
Amanda McIllmurray
State legislators
Local officials
Organizations
Political parties
Eryn Santamoor
Statewide officials
Local officials
Newspapers
Isaiah Thomas
Newspapers
Organizations
  • Reclaim Philadelphia (co-endorsement with Almirón, Gilmore Richardson, Landau, and McIllmurray)[15]
  • PASNAP (co-endorsement with Robbins, Gilmore Richardson, Harrity, and Edwards)[51]
  • Make the Road Action in PA (co-endorsement with Robbins, Almiron, and Landau)[52]
Political parties
Melissa Robbins
Organizations
  • PASNAP (co-endorsement with Thomas, Gilmore Richardson, Harrity, and Edwards)[53]
  • Make the Road Action in PA (co-endorsement with Thomas, Almiron, and Landau)[54]

Results

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Republican primary

Advanced to general election

Withdrew after primary

  • Frank Cristinzio[26]
  • Gary Grisafi, music teacher[26]
  • Mary Jane Kelly[26]

Eliminated in primary

Declined

Endorsements

Sam Oropeza
Local officials
Organizations

Results

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Working Families Party

Advanced to general election

Endorsements

Kendra Brooks
U.S. senators
Statewide officials
State legislators
Local officials
Organizations
Political parties
Nicolas O’Rourke
U.S. senators
Local officials
Organizations
Political parties

General election

Results

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Notes

  1. This amount represents the total number of votes cast in the race, not the total number of people who voted. Because each voter could choose up to 5 candidates, the number of people who voted in this election is likely far lower. For example, in the concurrent mayoral race, only 305,987 votes were cast.

References

  1. Moselle, Aaron (November 2, 2022). "Philly Councilmember Kenyatta Johnson, co-defendants found not guilty". WHYY-FM. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  2. "Philadelphia Election Results". Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  3. "Jamie Gauthier announces re-election bid for City Council". Al Día News. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  4. "The Emerging Primary Field for Philly's City Council District Elections". Philadelphia 3.0. January 13, 2023. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  5. "Philadelphia Election Results". Retrieved April 7, 2024.
  6. Walsh, Sean Collins; Orso, Anna; Brennan, Chris (February 23, 2023). "Darrell L. Clarke, Philadelphia City Council President, announces retirement". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  7. Waring, Tom (February 20, 2023). "City Republicans endorse ticket". Northeast Times. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
  8. "2023 Candidate Committee Information" (PDF). City of Philadelphia. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  9. "Primary School 4/28/2023". April 28, 2023. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
  10. Waring, Tom (October 30, 2022). "Oropeza running for Council". Northeast Times. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
  11. "Former city council member David Oh announces candidacy for Philadelphia mayor". FOX 29 Philadelphia. February 13, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
  12. Rapin, Katherine; Duncan, Jemille Q. (March 13, 2023). "Who's Running for Philadelphia City Council?". The Philadelphia Citizen. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
  13. Geeting, Jon (October 3, 2022). "At-Large and more City Council candidates in the Special Elections". The Philadelphia Citizen. Retrieved October 8, 2022.
  14. Owens, Ernest (September 18, 2023). "John Fetterman Is Endorsing Kendra Brooks and Nicolas O'Rourke for City Council". Philadelphia. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  15. "Philadelphia City Commissioners". Philadelphia City Commissioners. Retrieved September 27, 2023.

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