
Pennsylvania’s midterm primary elections in May did little to change the fabric in Harrisburg, as the overwhelming majority of the General Assembly was not up for election. But that did not stop several races from raising eyebrows.
• Kenney wins Philly mayoral race decisively: The fact that former city councilman Bill Kenney won the Philadelphia mayoral primary was not unexpected, but the margin of victory was. Kenney won the Democratic primary by more than 30 percentage points over his strongest competitor, Sen. Anthony Williams. Kenney is nearly a shoe-in as the next mayor of Philadelphia.
When was the last time Philadelphia elected a Republican mayor? The answer: 1948.
• Philly City Council gets a makeover: Incumbents Blondell Reynolds Brown and William Greenlee will maintain their City Council seats, while their fellow incumbents Ed Neilson and Wilson Goode did not receive the votes needed to continue. Replacing them will be at-large members Allan Domb, Derek Green and Helen Gym. On the Republican side, Incumbent Councilmen David Oh and Dennis O’Brien will try to retain their seats in November against challengers Terry Tracy, Daniel Tinney and Al Taubenberger.
• Supreme Court about to see some new faces: Both parties elected their slate of candidates for three open seats on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. On the Republican side, the candidates will consist of Superior Court Judge Judy Olson, Adams County Judge Michael George and Commonwealth Court Judge Anne Covey. The Democrats will be represented by Superior Court Judges David Wecht and Christine Donohue, along with Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Judge Kevin Dougherty.
• Kenney wins Philly mayoral race decisively: The fact that former city councilman Bill Kenney won the Philadelphia mayoral primary was not unexpected, but the margin of victory was. Kenney won the Democratic primary by more than 30 percentage points over his strongest competitor, Sen. Anthony Williams. Kenney is nearly a shoe-in as the next mayor of Philadelphia.
When was the last time Philadelphia elected a Republican mayor? The answer: 1948.
• Philly City Council gets a makeover: Incumbents Blondell Reynolds Brown and William Greenlee will maintain their City Council seats, while their fellow incumbents Ed Neilson and Wilson Goode did not receive the votes needed to continue. Replacing them will be at-large members Allan Domb, Derek Green and Helen Gym. On the Republican side, Incumbent Councilmen David Oh and Dennis O’Brien will try to retain their seats in November against challengers Terry Tracy, Daniel Tinney and Al Taubenberger.
• Supreme Court about to see some new faces: Both parties elected their slate of candidates for three open seats on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. On the Republican side, the candidates will consist of Superior Court Judge Judy Olson, Adams County Judge Michael George and Commonwealth Court Judge Anne Covey. The Democrats will be represented by Superior Court Judges David Wecht and Christine Donohue, along with Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Judge Kevin Dougherty.