What to Know
- Cherelle Parker, a Democrat with a long political history in Pennsylvania, won Philadelphia’s Democratic mayoral primary on Tuesday, likely setting her up as the city’s 100th mayor and the first woman to serve in the role.
- Parker, 50, who served for 10 years as a state representative for northwest Philadelphia before her election to the city council in 2015, 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.
- She will go up against Republican David Oh -- who ran unopposed in the primary -- in the Nov. 7 general election.
Cherelle Parker, a Democrat with a long political history in Pennsylvania, won Philadelphia’s mayoral primary on Tuesday, likely setting her up as the city’s 100th mayor and the first woman to serve in the role.
Parker, 50, who served for 10 years as a state representative for northwest Philadelphia before her election to the city council in 2015, 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. She will go up against Republican David Oh in the Nov. 7 general election.
Parker did not speak Tuesday night but tweeted a statement.
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"It’s been a long road, and to see the tireless work of my campaign team, supporters, and family pay off is humbling," Parker tweeted. "I’m looking forward to November and bringing our city together as its 100th mayor."
Shortly after midnight, Parker's campaign released a statement further explaining why she didn't appear or speak in public after her victory.
Philadelphia Mayoral Election 2023
"Cherelle Parker is thrilled to have received the trust and confidence of so many Philadelphians. Unfortunately, Cherelle had a recent dental issue that required immediate medical attention this evening, and she is currently receiving care at the University of Pennsylvania," the campaign spokesperson wrote. "Cherelle looks forward to celebrating with all of her friends and supporters and thanks all of Philadelphia for making history tonight."
Former City Controller Rebecca Rhynhart appeared to come in second among a crowded Democratic field, according to results posted by Philadelphia City Commissioners. Former City Councilmember Helen Gym was just behind Rhynhart in third as of Wednesday morning.
The win was a disappointment to progressives who rallied around Gym, who was backed by Vermont U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders and New York U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Parker emerged from the crowded field of five front-runner Democratic candidates -- including Allan Domb and Jeff Brown -- vying to replace Democrat Jim Kenney, who is term-limited. She beat out other former city council members who resigned from their seats to throw their hats in the ring; a state representative; a former city controller and a political outsider businessman.
The Philadelphia race serves as the latest barometer of how residents of some of the nation’s largest cities hope to emerge from the pandemic, which heightened concerns about crime, poverty and inequality. The results have sometimes been tumultuous in other parts of the country, leading to the defeat of the incumbent mayor of Chicago in February and the ouster of San Francisco’s district attorney last year.
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.”
"I reject the narrative that we have to bring stop-and-frisk back. Stop-and-frisk never went away. We are talking about the Constitutional use of stop-and-frisk. That has never been taken away. We call them 'Terry stops.' That has never been taken away from law enforcement. Every tool in the toolbox, that we need to employ the use of -- and that includes the Constitutional use of stop-and-frisk -- we have to employ them," she recently told NBC10's Lauren Mayk.
Parker received support from members of the Philadelphia delegation in the House, as well as members of Congress. She was also backed by labor unions and a number of wards in the city, and Kenney said he had cast his ballot for her.
In Philadelphia, where registered Democrats far outnumbers Republican voters, Parker is widely expected to win in November.
She would take over for Kenney in January 2024.
Parker's campaign was endorsed by a number of labor unions as well as City Council president Darrell Clarke and councilmembers Curtis Jones Jr., Anthony Phillips, Michael Driscoll and Mark Squilla.
She was also supported by the Philadelphia chapter of the National Organization for Women.
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