While Democrats are the dominant party in Philadelphia, historically Republicans have had two at-large city council seats that were reserved for the non-majority party. That changed however after the Working Families Party won both of those seats in the city’s recent General Election.
In the latest episode of Battleground Politics, Lauren Mayk spoke with City Commissioner Seth Bluestein – one of the only elected Republicans left in Philly city government – about his party’s dwindling presence in City Hall, the future of the GOP and how he’s preparing for another presidential election year.
Battleground Politics with Lauren Mayk
The Republican effort to promote vote by mail was probably “too little too late,” Philadelphia’s Republican city commissioner said in a recent interview.
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Republicans encouraged voters to “bank” their vote using a mail-in ballot, embracing the vote by mail concept that President Trump had previously criticized.
“Voters internalized the message that President Trump sent before 2020 that voting by mail wasn’t safe - even though it’s not true - and now geting them to commit to voting by mail is a lot harder,” Bluestein said in an interview on the NBC 10 podcast Battleground Politics with Lauren Mayk.
Bluestein, who serves on the board that oversees elections in the city, will be one of only two elected Republicans left in city government after voters in the recent election chose two Working Families Party candidates to fill the two at-large council seats reserved for a non-majority party.
Bluestein said after the Working Families party won its first seat in 2019, the Republican Party had a plan that it executed this year - but he pointed to a larger issue.
“I think it’s a broader trend that reallly needs to be addressed about how competitive the Republican party really can be in a city that is diverse and in urban environments,” Bluestein said.
In the Battleground Politics episode, Bluestein also discussed the 2024 election and preparing for the spotlight that could once again be on Philadelphia and Pennsylvania.
Here’s a full breakdown of the episode:
:53 – How does it feel to be one of two Republicans left in Philly’s city government?
2:35 – Can a third party contribute to Philly bipartisanship?
3:18 – Why couldn’t Republicans get the two non-majority city council seats?
5:09 – How can Republicans in the Philly area move forward in 2024?
7:10 – Is it worth it for Republican candidates to compete in Philly?
8:00 – Will changing Republican leadership in Philly make a difference?
8:45 – How much of a factor is Donald Trump in the Philly area?
9:30 – Was the GOP’s push for mail-in voting too little too late?
11:55 – Preparing for the potential spotlight on Philly during the 2024 Election
14:28 – Has Seth Bluestein’s experience in 2020 helped prepare him for 2024?
15:30 – Thoughts on potential GOP presidential candidates
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