Take a look at the below capsules. See something that needs to be changed, updated, made better, etc.? Go ahead and post in the comment section.
A glance at the seven contested Democratic primaries in the district Council races.
First District
Frank DiCicco (I)
Vern Anastasio
The scoop: DiCicco is running for his fourth term against Anastasio, a South Philadelphia civic activist. Their campaign has been one of the more active, with DiCicco airing commercials and Anastasio running a grassroots campaign with both viral Web videos and strongly worded attacks against what he sees as a too little too late strategy from DiCicco to deal with the two casinos planned for the district. DiCicco points to the work he has done over the last six months to put up hurdles for the casinos.
Second District
Anna Verna (I)
Damon K. Roberts
The scoop: Verna has served on Council since 1976, including the last eight years as president. Council allies point to her fairness as president and she enjoys wide support among local ward leaders. She faces the 36-year-old Harvard grad, who was born in Guyana and moved to Philadelphia after graduating from Howard University Law School. He has worked as a community liaison for the Philadelphia Housing Authority.
November’s Republican: William Black
Fourth District
Carol Ann Campbell (I)
Curtis Jones Jr.
Matt McClure
The scoop: Campbell, who began serving on Council after a special election in November to fill the seat of mayoral candidate Michael Nutter, is a powerful leader in the city’s Democratic party. She faces a stiff challenge from two challengers seeking their first shot at Council, including Jones, a close ally of mayoral candidate Chaka Fattah, and McClure, an East Falls attorney. Jones is the former head of the Pennsylvania Commercial Development Corp. and McClure is an attorney with the high-profile Ballard Spahr firm.
November’s Republican: Melvin Johnakin
Fifth District
Darrell Clarke (I)
Haile Johnston
John Longacre
The scoop: The incumbent faces a challenge from a local community activist (Johnston) and a developer (Longacre). Clarke, an ally of Mayor John Street, has been on Council for eight years. Johnston, a Wharton grad, formed the nonprofit East Park Revitalization Alliance. Longacre has helped form community development corporations in both Fairhill and South Philadelphia, where he owns the South Philadelphia Tap Room.
Seventh District
Dan Savage (I)
Maria Quinones Sanchez
Marnie Aument Loughrey
The scoop: Savage began serving the district after a special election in November to fill the seat of the disgraced Rick Mariano, who is serving a six and a half year sentence on corruption charges. Savage, a ward leader, faces a serious challenge from Quinones-Sanchez, a local community leader who has been endorsed by Gov. Ed Rendell. Aument-Loughrey is a longtime committee person from Kensington community activist. The district was named the most gerrymandered municipal legislative district in the country by one research firm, something the next council person will have a chance to address when districts are redrawn in 2010.
November’s Republican: Gary Grisafi
Eighth District
Donna Reed Miller (I)
Irv Ackelsberg
Cindy Bass
Greg Paulmier
The scoop: Donna Reed Miller is in her third term on Council and is chairwoman of the Public Safety Committee. A close ally of mayoral candidate Dwight Evans, she faces three primary opponents. Bass is a senior policy adviser on urban and domestic policy for mayoral candidate U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah and a community activist. Ackelsberg is the former head of Community Legal Services and a community activist. Paulmier, a Germantown ward leader, was thrown off the ballot but was reinstated by the state Supreme Court.
Ninth District
Marian Tasco (I)
Cecil Hankins
Raymond Jones
Lamont Thomas
The scoop: Tasco has served on Council since 1988 representing the Northwest Philadelphia district, which includes West Oak Lane and East Mount Airy. Jones is a co-founder of anti-violence group Men United for a Better Philadelphia. Hankins is a longtime city worker and Thomas ran unsuccessfully to unseat Tasco ally and mayoral candidate state Rep. Dwight Evans last year.
I think it should be noted that Councilwoman Miller has faced a lot of controversy over the Germantown CDC, with Irv calling her out about it at the May 2nd Debate.
Posted by: Larry West | May 04, 2007 at 12:24 AM