Pennsylvania

Philadelphia's Long List of Candidates for Mayor, Sheriff and City Council

Mayor Kenney faces a familiar challenger, and dozens of candidates filed to run for City Council in the May 21 municipal primary election.

What to Know

  • More than 30 Democrats are competing for the five at-large seats allotted to the city's majority party.
  • Mayor Jim Kenney faces challenges from some well-known candidates, including a state senator he defeated in 2015.
  • All 17 Council seats as well as mayor, sheriff, city commissioners and register of wills are up for election.

Nearly every incumbent in Philadelphia's elected public offices faces a challenge to his or her seat in the May 21 municipal primary elections, which includes one of the most crowded fields in memory for the seven at-large City Council seats. 

All 17 Council seats -- 10 district seats and seven at-large -- as well as mayor, sheriff, city commissioners and register of wills are up for election.

The exception? Federally indicted incumbent Councilman Bob Henon. The two-term lawmaker is a defendant in the ongoing case against union leader John "Johnny Doc" Dougherty. Henon, who represents the sixth district, is accused of being a Council puppet for Dougherty.

It's Official: Candidates for Mayor, Sheriff, City Council in Philadelphia

Incumbents in nearly every elected position in Philadelphia are facing competition in the upcoming May municipal elections. Notably, Mayor Kenney faces an old foe, and two women are trying to unseat the incumbent sheriff and become the first-ever female sheriff in the city.

Democrat names are in blue and Republicans in red.

 

Mayor Jim Kenney faces challenges from some well-known candidates, including former longtime City Controller Alan Butkovitz and Pennsylvania state Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams. Kenney defeated Williams four years ago in the Democratic primary.

The initial ballot is now set, not counting challenges to candidates' petitions, as of 5 p.m. Tuesday, which was the deadline for submitting the required signatures to become a candidate. But getting the required signatures -- 750 for Council district seats and 1,000 for citywide elected positions -- is just the first hurdle. Challenges to petitions could see some candidates booted in the next couple weeks. Some candidates also could simply drop out before the primary.

Embattled Sheriff Jewell Williams is seeking a third-term despite continuing to face heat for sexual harrassment lawsuits spanning his first eight years in office. Two women and a preacher are challenging him in the primary.

More than 30 Democrats are competing for the five at-large seats allotted to the city's majority party, with the large number of candidates due in part to the rare retirements of two incumbents: Blondell Reynolds-Brown and Bill Greenlee.

Here is a complete list of those candidates who filed for the seven Council at-large seats. Republican candidates are vying for the two seats allotted to the minority party.

Bill Heeney, Republican

Ethelind Baylor, Democrat

Beth Finn, Democrat

Justin DiBerardinis, Democrat

Allan Domb, Democrat (Incumbent)

Irina Goldstein, Republican

Billy Thompson, Democrat

Adrian Rivera Reyes, Democrat

Erika Almiron, Democrat

Latrice Bryant, Democrat

Bobbie Curry, Democrat

Vinny Black, Democrat

Helen Gym, Democrat (Incumbent)

Mike Stack, Democrat

Isaiah Thomas, Democrat

Edwin Santana, Democrat

Derek Green, Democrat (Incumbent)

Katherine Gilmore Richardson, Democrat

Eryn Santamoor, Democrat

Matt Wolfe, Republican

Sandra Dungee Glenn, Democrat

David Oh, Republican (Incumbent)

Al Taubenberger, Republican (Incumbent)

Fareed Abdullah, Democrat

Dan Tinney, Republican

Fernando Trevino, Democrat

Drew Murray, Republican

Deja Lynn Alvarez, Democrat

Janice Tangradi, Democrat

Wayne Edmund Dorsey, Democrat

Asa Khalif, Democrat

Joseph Diorio, Democrat

Sherrie Cohen, Democrat

Wayne Allen, Democrat

David H. Conroy, Democrat

Mark Ross, Democrat

Willie Floyd Singletary, Democrat

Ogbonna Paul Hagins, Democrat

Melissa Robbins, Democrat

Hena Veit, Democrat

Devon Cade, Democrat

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