Your feedback ensures we stay focused on the facts that matter to you most—take our survey.
Cherelle Parker
2024 - Present
2028
1
Cherelle Parker (Democratic Party) is the Mayor of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania. She assumed office on January 1, 2024. Her current term ends on January 3, 2028.
Parker was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[1] While attending the Philadelphia School District's Parkway program, Parker won the district’s Black History Oratorical Contest.[2] As the contest winner, she met then-Philadelphia City Council member Marian B. Tasco.[2] Following their meeting, Parker interned at Tasco’s office.[1]
Parker received a bachelor’s degree from Lincoln University and a master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania.[1] After completing her undergraduate degree, Parker worked as a high school English teacher and taught English as a second language in night school.[3] In 1995, Parker started working as an aide for Tasco.[3]
In 2005, Parker won a special election to represent District 200 in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. While in the Legislature, Parker worked on Act 75 of 2012, Act 89 of 2013, and the Philadelphia Tax Fairness Package.[4] Regarding her work in the state House, Parker said, “Even when we agree to disagree, you have to earn compromise and earn respect. And your word is your most-important asset. As my grandmother always said, ‘If you don’t have your word, you don’t have anything.’”[3]
In 2015, Parker was elected to succeed Tasco as the District 9 Representative on the Philadelphia City Council.[1] During her tenure on the city council, Parker focused on public safety and economic opportunity.[5]
Parker resigned from the city council in 2022 and announced her candidacy for Mayor of Philadelphia in the 2023 election.[6] The New York Times' Campbell Robertson wrote that the Democratic primary, which included nine candidates, was "congested from the start and remained so into its final days. Up to the last polls, no front-runner had emerged and five of the candidates seemed to have a roughly equal shot at winning, each representing different constituencies and different parts of town."[7] According to Pennsylvania Capital-Star’s John Cole, “Parker was widely viewed as the leading moderate candidate” in the primary.[8] Parker won the Democratic primary with 32.6% of the vote.
In 2023, Parker was elected Mayor of Philadelphia after defeating David Oh (R) 74.7% to 24.4%. During her acceptance speech, Parker said, "Who is Cherelle Parker going to be? A get-it-done Philadelphian. A get-it-done mayor who won't ever forget her deep roots. I'm Philly-born, I'm Philly-bred, and I'll be Philadelphian 'til I'm dead."[1]
Biography
Parker earned a bachelor's degree in English education from Lincoln University in 1994 and a master's degree from the University of Pennsylvania. Her professional experience includes working as an aide to Philadelphia City Councilwoman Marian Tasco from 1991 to 2001 and as the Project Development Coordinator for the Ninth Council District from 2001 to 2005.[9]
Elections
2023
See also: Mayoral election in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (2023)
General election
General election for Mayor of Philadelphia
Cherelle Parker defeated David Oh in the general election for Mayor of Philadelphia on November 7, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Cherelle Parker (D) | 74.7 | 232,075 |
 | David Oh (R) | 24.4 | 75,677 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.9 | 2,849 | ||
| Total votes: 310,601 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Mayor of Philadelphia
The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for Mayor of Philadelphia on May 16, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Cherelle Parker | 32.6 | 81,080 |
 | Rebecca Rhynhart | 22.8 | 56,581 | |
 | Helen Gym | 22.0 | 54,705 | |
 | Allan Domb | 11.3 | 28,051 | |
 | Jeff Brown | 8.8 | 21,868 | |
 | Amen Brown | 1.3 | 3,321 | |
| James DeLeon III | 0.6 | 1,488 | ||
| Delscia Gray | 0.2 | 582 | ||
| Warren Bloom | 0.2 | 499 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 163 | ||
| Total votes: 248,338 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Derek Green (D)
- Maria Quinones-Sanchez (D)
- John Wood (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Mayor of Philadelphia
David Oh advanced from the Republican primary for Mayor of Philadelphia on May 16, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | David Oh | 95.5 | 15,355 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 4.5 | 730 | ||
| Total votes: 16,085 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2019
See also: City council elections in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (2019)
General election
General election for Philadelphia City Council District 9
Incumbent Cherelle Parker won election in the general election for Philadelphia City Council District 9 on November 5, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Cherelle Parker (D) | 99.9 | 26,910 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 29 | ||
| Total votes: 26,939 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Philadelphia City Council District 9
Incumbent Cherelle Parker advanced from the Democratic primary for Philadelphia City Council District 9 on May 21, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Cherelle Parker | 100.0 | 18,623 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.0 | 7 | ||
| Total votes: 18,630 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Bobbie Curry (D)
- Archye Leacock (D)
2015
The city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, held elections for mayor and city council on November 3, 2015. A primary election took place on May 19, 2015. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was March 10, 2015. In the Democratic primary election for District 9, Cherelle Parker was unopposed. In the Republican primary, Kevin Strickland was unopposed.[10] Parker defeated Strickland and Independent candidate Bobbie Curry in the general election. Incumbent Marian B. Tasco (D) did not run for re-election.[11][12]
| Philadelphia City Council District 9, General election, 2015 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Cherelle Parker |
91.1% | 21,565 | |
| Republican | Kevin Strickland | 8.1% | 1,920 | |
| Independent | Bobbie Curry | 0.8% | 182 | |
| Write-in votes | 0% | 1 | ||
| Total Votes | 23,668 | |||
| Source: City of Philadelphia, "Official general election results," accessed November 23, 2015 | ||||
2014
Elections for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election took place on May 20, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was March 11, 2014. Incumbent Cherelle Parker was set to face Bobbie Curry in the Democratic primary, but Curry was removed from the ballot on April 17, 2014, leaving Parker unopposed. Parker was unchallenged in the general election.[13][14][15]
2012
Parker ran in the 2012 election for Pennsylvania House District 200. Parker ran unopposed in the primary on April 24, 2012, and was unchallenged in the general election, which took place on November 6, 2012.[16][17]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Cherelle Parker Incumbent |
100% | 30,035 | |
| Total Votes | 30,035 | |||
2010
Parker won re-election to the 200th District seat in 2010. She had no primary opposition and was unchallenged in the general election which took place on November 2, 2010.[18]
| Pennsylvania State House, District 200 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
|
Cherelle Parker (D) |
22,879 | 100.0% | ||
2008
On November 4, 2008, Parker won re-election to District 200 of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. She received 29,954 votes running unopposed.[19]
| Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 200 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
| Cherelle L. Parker (D)
|
29,954 | 100.0% | ||
Campaign themes
2023
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Cherelle Parker did not complete Ballotpedia's 2023 Candidate Connection survey.
2019
Cherelle Parker did not complete Ballotpedia's 2019 Candidate Connection survey.
2015
Parker's website highlighted the following campaign themes:[20]
Minimum wage
- Excerpt: "On the federal level, President Obama has issued an executive order to increase wages for businesses with new or renewed federal contracts to $10.10 in 2015. Now it's Pennsylvania's turn. The commonwealth must rise to the challenge to lead 1.8 million Pennsylvanians out of poverty and down the pathway of financial independence by raising our state's minimum wage."
Transportation funding
- Excerpt: "As a member of the Transportation Committee, Democratic Chair of the Subcommittee on Public Transportation, and Chair of the Philadelphia Delegation, Rep. Parker fought tirelessly for a transportation package that provided fair and adequate funding for the City of Philadelphia and Commonwealth's public transportation needs. … Parker continues to work with SEPTA and others interested in this issue, as well as her Republic colleagues in the House and Administration, to continue discussions on Pennsylvania's infrastructure and transportation needs."
School safety
- Excerpt: "Reps. Parker and Day introduced H.R. 53 this legislative session, establishing a Bi-Partisan Select Committee on School Safety with the purpose of investigating and making recommendations on safety and security in public and private K-12 schools and colleges and universities in PA. Rep. Parker was appointed as the Vice-Chair/Democratic Chair of the Committee with Rep. Day."
Expert witness testimony
- Excerpt: "This legislation permits the court to qualify as an expert an individual who has specialized knowledge related to sexual violence, based on the witness' experience, specialized training or education in: criminal justice: behavior sciences or victim services issues. Rep. Parker is confident that this will assist the trier of fact in understanding the dynamics of sexual violence, victim responses to sexual violence and the impact of sexual violence on victims, during and after being assaulted. Rep. Parker worked closely with Diane Moyer of The Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape, Rep. Kate Harper and many others for over 6 years to address this issue."
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Parker and her husband Benjamin Perry Mullins Jr. have been married since 2010.[21]
State legislative tenure
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Pennsylvania scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
2015
In 2015, the Pennsylvania General Assembly was in session from January 6 through December 31.
- American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania: 2016-2016 legislative scorecard
- Legislators are scored based on their voting record for bills relating to civil liberties.
- Pennsylvania Environmental scorecard: 2015-2016 scorecard
- Legislators are scored on their votes on environmental issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
2014
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2014, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2014, the Pennsylvania General Assembly was in session from January 7 through November 12.
|
2013
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2013, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2013, the Pennsylvania General Assembly was in session from January 2 to December 31.
|
2012
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2012, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2012, the Pennsylvania General Assembly was in session from January 3 to November 30.
|
2011
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2011, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2011, the Pennsylvania General Assembly was in session from January 4 through November 30.
|
Committee assignments
2015 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Parker served on the following committees:
| Pennsylvania committee assignments, 2015 |
|---|
| • Appropriations |
| • Labor & Industry |
| • Professional Licensure |
| • Transportation |
| • Rules |
2013-2014
In the 2013-2014 legislative session, Parker served on the following committees:
| Pennsylvania committee assignments, 2013 |
|---|
| • Appropriations |
| • Labor & Industry |
| • Professional Licensure |
| • Rules |
| • Transportation |
2011-2012
In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Parker served on these committees:
| Pennsylvania committee assignments, 2011 |
|---|
| • Appropriations |
| • Consumer Affairs |
| • Labor Relations |
| • Professional Licensure |
2009-2010
In the 2009-2010 legislative session, Parker served on these committees:
| Pennsylvania committee assignments, 2009 |
|---|
| • Appropriations |
| • Labor Relations |
| • Liquor Control |
| • Professional Licensure, Secretary |
Sponsored legislation
See also
2023 Elections
External links
|
Candidate Mayor of Philadelphia |
Officeholder Mayor of Philadelphia |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 ABC News, "What to know about Cherelle Parker, Philadelphia's first female mayor," November 8, 2023
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Philadelphia Inquirer, "This Philly teacher helped Cherelle Parker ‘turn pain into power.’ Meet Jeanette Jimenez.," December 26, 2023
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Philadelphia Public Record, "Cherelle Parker: The Girl Who Found a Home in City Hall," November 19, 2019
- ↑ City Council Philadelphia, "Councilmember Cherelle L. Parker District 9," accessed August 26, 2024
- ↑ Cherelle Parker campaign website, "About Cherelle," accessed August 26, 2024
- ↑ The Philadelphia Inquirer, "Philly Councilmember Cherelle L. Parker has resigned and will run for mayor," September 7, 2022
- ↑ The New York Times, "Cherelle Parker Wins Democratic Mayoral Primary in Philadelphia," May 16, 2023
- ↑ Pennsylvania Capitol-Star, "Cherelle Parker sworn in as Philadelphia’s 100th mayor," January 2, 2024
- ↑ Cherelle Parker, "About," accessed September 9, 2025
- ↑ Philadelphia City Commissioners, "Historical Election Results," accessed August 24, 2015
- ↑ The Philadelphia Tribune, "Councilwoman Marian Tasco will not seek re-election," January 13, 2015
- ↑ Office of the Philadelphia City Commissioners, "Comprehensive Election Calendar," accessed November 17, 2014
- ↑ Pennsylvania Department of State, "Official primary results for May 20, 2014," accessed July 9, 2014
- ↑ Pennsylvania Department of State, "2014 Objections Cases Filed with the Department of State," accessed April 29, 2014
- ↑ Pennsylvania Department of State, "2014 Official Candidate Listing," accessed March 21, 2014
- ↑ Pennsylvania Department of State, "Official Primary Results," accessed April 15, 2014
- ↑ Pennsylvania Department of State, "2012 Primary Candidate List," April 15, 2014
- ↑ Pennsylvania Department of State, "2010 General Election Results," accessed May 2, 2014
- ↑ Pennsylvania Department of State, "Official 2008 General Election Results," accessed April 15, 2014
- ↑ Official campaign website of Cherelle Parker, "Issues," accessed August 19, 2015
- ↑ Philadelphia Sun, "Cherelle and Ben’s diamond wedding," August 8, 2010
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by James Kenney (D) |
Mayor of Philadelphia 2024-Present |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - |
Philadelphia City Council District 9 2016-2022 |
Succeeded by Anthony Phillips (D) |
| Preceded by - |
Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 200 2005-2016 |
Succeeded by - |
| |||||||||
