Democrat Cherelle Parker beat Republican David Oh to become Philadelphia’s 100th mayor. Parker wasted no time getting straight to business following the election. She is sending her first message as mayor-elect, saying her team is already working so she is ready to take office. NBC10’s Lauren Mayk spoke with current Mayor Kenney about his feelings on leaving office.
Cherelle Parker, a Democrat with a long political history in Philadelphia, will be the city's 100th mayor and the first woman to ever be elected to the office, NBC News projects.
The 51-year-old Parker, a former city councilwoman who also served for 10 years as a state representative for northwest Philadelphia, defeated Republican David Oh, himself a former city councilmember. Oh had served as an at-large member of City Council since 2012, and resigned earlier in 2023 to run for mayor.
On Wednesday, Parker posted a thank you message to voters on social media.
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"We're gonna make sure that we put people on the path to self-sufficiency," Parker said during lengthy victory remarks in front of supporters at a South Philadelphia union hall. "You've heard me talk about making our public health and safety our No. 1 priority.
"Listen, I don't apologize about that," Parker continued. "We are going to use every legal tool that is in the tool book to make this city safe."
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Parker was widely expected to win following her victory in the spring's Democratic primary, where she emerged from a crowded and competitive field of five candidates. Dems are heavily favored in Philadelphia's general elections thanks to an 8-to-1 edge over Republicans in voter registration.
There hasn't been a Republican in the mayor's office since 1952, when Bernard "Barney" Samuel became term limited thanks to the 1951 passing of the city's Home Rule Charter, which established a two-term limit.
Parker succeeds Philly's 99th mayor, Jim Kenney, who has served two terms and was first elected in 2015.
"Congratulations to mayor-elect Cherelle Parker on this historic milestone in her extraordinary career of public service," Kenney said in a statement on Tuesday night after the race was called. "I am proud to call Cherelle a friend and a colleague, and I look forward to working with her to ensure a smooth and successful transition that keeps our city's progress on track."
Follow along with NBC10's live updating Election Night blog for reaction and results from across Philadelphia, the rest of Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.
"It's pretty surreal right now," Parker said on Tuesday morning upon exiting a voting booth in West Oak Lane. "Never in a million years did I think that this would be a place and a space that I would occupy in this world. I am grateful today for the folks on whose shoulders I stand to get here. I am humble."
She promised to make Philadelphia the "safest, cleanest, greenest big city in the nation that provides access to economic opportunity for all," remarks that she reiterated in her Election Night victory speech.
"And we are going to have one Philly -- a united city," Parker added.
During her campaign, Parker asserted herself as a leader whose government experience would allow her to address gaping problems with public safety and quality of life in the nation’s sixth-largest city.
In a wide-ranging September interview with NBC10's political podcast, Battleground Politics, Parker said that one of her first acts as mayor-elect will be to announce her pick for the city's next police commissioner.
“Believe me, if all goes well, and the people of the city give me the opportunity to serve as their 100th mayor, immediately after the general election you will see some movement on that selection,” she said.
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Parker could give priority to candidates for that job with local experience.
“Knowledge of the city of Philadelphia is extremely important along with cultural competency and, quite frankly, emotional intelligence,” Parker told NBC10. “In addition to that we’re going to need a strong leader who is not afraid to make tough decisions that may not be popular with some in our city.”
Parker and Oh met for only one debate prior to Tuesday's election, during which they sparred over a number of issues, from gun violence and safety in Philadelphia to the proposal for a new 76ers arena near the city's Chinatown section.
Oh conceded the race to Parker in a speech to his supporters at a restaurant in Northeast Philadelphia.
"We have come to the end of this journey," Oh said. "The voters have spoken and Cherelle Parker is the 100th mayor of Philadelphia. I congratulate her and I wish her well. It is her responsibility now and we will all support her."
On her way to this victory, Parker beat out five Democratic candidates in the primaries -- former city councilmembers Helen Gym and Allan Domb, former city controller Rebecca Rhynhart, and grocery store owner Jeff Brown.
Throughout her campaign, Parker pledged to “stop the sense of lawlessness that is plaguing our city” by putting hundreds more officers on the street to engage in community policing. Parker pushed for officers to use every legal tool, including stopping someone when they have “just cause and reasonable suspicion.”
Parker also supports year-round schooling and keeping school buildings open longer hours in an effort to provide Philadelphia students more educational opportunities and to help prevent violence.
