Philadelphia is preparing to elect new representatives on November 7th, including the city’s 100th mayor. Two candidates, one Democrat and one Republican, are competing for this position.
Cherelle Parker and David Oh are the contenders vying for the mayor’s seat. Both are former members of the Philadelphia City Council and have a political history rich in reputation and experience.
The winning candidate in the election will succeed the current two-term Democratic mayor, Jim Kenney.
Cherelle Parker
Parker represented the ninth district, comprising the northwest and northeast neighborhoods of Philadelphia, in the city council for two terms. If elected, she would make history by becoming the city’s first female mayor.
The Democrat, who grew up in West Oak Lane and resides in Mount Airy with her son, boasts a political background that began as the youngest African American woman elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, where she served for 10 years. She was also the first woman to chair the Delaware River Port Authority board.
During her time on the city council, she chaired the Labor and Civil Service Committee and served as vice-chair of the Commerce and Economic Development Committee. She secured the Democratic nomination for the mayoral race with 69,202 votes in her favor.
Her campaign focused on revitalizing middle-class neighborhoods, improving education, creating economic opportunities, promoting cleanliness and sustainability, and ensuring public safety by continuing a project she introduced as a councilwoman. This project includes, among other things, the hiring of 300 new foot and bicycle police officers to address staffing shortages.
Parker also proposed extending the school day from 7:30 am to 6:00 pm and working with state leaders to more than double the minimum wage.
The state leader enjoys the support of the majority of Philadelphia’s established politicians and has a long list of endorsements from various unions, including the construction union.
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David Oh
Oh is a Southwest Philadelphia lawyer and a military veteran who served for three terms as an At-Large member of the city council. He was the first Asian American on the council.
During his time on the council, he chaired the Global Opportunities and Creative and Innovative Economy Committees, achieving milestones related to creating a tax credit for veterans, improving breastfeeding rights, and increasing firefighters’ salaries.
If he were to win, Oh would become the first Republican to hold the city’s highest office in 70 years. Among his priorities is doing things differently for the city and achieving goals he didn’t have the opportunity to accomplish during his council tenure.
His campaign focused on addressing crime, investing in public schools and jobs, and bringing prosperity to the economy, fiscal responsibility, and tax reform. He aims to create a government that serves the people.
Regarding crime, he plans to promote regular patrolling, a visible presence of law enforcement officials in crime-prone areas, smart criminal justice reform, increasing the number of officers, and assessing forensic capacity in terms of space and technology.
Oh, who deeply loves his wife, Heesun, and their four children – Hannah, Joshua, Daniel, and Sarah, is supported by former Republican Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge, SEPTA Transit Police Union, a retired state Supreme Court judge, and individual veterans.
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