Or, why Democratic City Committee chair Bob Brady needs to calm down and the Republicans need to step up their fundraising game.
By Denise Clay-Murray
Four years ago, Kendra Brooks shook up the political world by doing something that hasn’t been done in 70 years of City Council history.
She won a seat on City Council as a third-party candidate.
Brooks defeated Republican City Councilmember Al Taubenberger to take one of the two minority at-large seats in Council. Her running mate, the Rev. Nicolas O’Rourke, was within striking distance of former City Councilmember David Oh but didn’t win the seat.
O’Rourke is hoping to join Brooks this time around as he runs for the seat vacated by Oh when he resigned from Council to run for mayor. Because of this, we could have a City Council where 10th District Councilmember Brian O’Neill is the lone Republican.
For many on both sides of the aisle, this is a bad idea. Bob Brady, the head of the Democratic City Committee, fears that the inclusion of Brooks and O’Rourke will impact Democratic Council candidates.
In fact, he’s warned committee people that anyone seen providing help to WFP candidates will be punished with expulsion.
“In the weeks ahead, we expect that Democratic party ward leaders and committee people will be asked to engage in actions (or omissions) to aid and support prospective candidates who intend to run against our Democratic nominees,” Brady said. “Compliance with this foundational rule is essential and non-negotiable. We truly do not want to see any of our committee people or ward leaders trigger this provision of our bylaws.”
On the other hand, the Republicans believe that the existence of the Working Families Parties and its attempt to become the minority on Council is a violation of the City Charter’s provision for those seats.
“It was not to have somebody who could come up with a minority party and bring in outside influence, finances, and otherwise to win an election and there really be no difference of opinion except for how progressive a Democrat you are,” O’Neill told the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Actually… that’s not correct.
The idea behind the minority party provision, which was set forth in the late 1940s, was to give the party that wasn’t in power a seat — or in this case, two — at the table when Council makes decisions. In the 1950s, it was the Democrats.
These days, the minority seats have traditionally belonged to Republicans.
But according to the City Charter, there’s no specific party designated. If the Bull Moose Party decides to make a comeback, and it wants to run two people for those minority seats on Council, it can make a run at it. And if they win, they’re the minority party.
If you want more of an understanding of how the Minority Party Council At-Large seats work, go to this link: https://www.coj.net/city-council/docs/consolidation-task-force/2014-01-09-philadelphiacharter.aspx
Remember: the last day to register to vote in the Nov. 7 election is Oct. 23.
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