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Mayoral election in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (May 16, 2023 Democratic primary)

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← 2019
2023 Philadelphia elections
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Election dates
Filing deadline: March 8, 2023 (primary) & August 1, 2023 (general)
Primary election: May 16, 2023
General election: November 7, 2023
Election stats
Offices up: Mayor
Total seats up: 1 (click here for other city elections)
Election type: Partisan
Other municipal elections
U.S. municipal elections, 2023

Cherelle Parker defeated eight other candidates in the Democratic primary for mayor of Philadelphia on May 16, 2023. She faced David Oh—the only candidate who ran for the Republican nomination—in the general election on November 7, 2023. Incumbent Jim Kenney (D), who was first elected mayor in 2015 and re-elected in 2019, was term-limited.

The city's last 10 mayors were all elected as Democrats, and the last Republican to serve as mayor was Bernard Samuel, whose term ended in 1952. Jeff Brown, Allan Domb, Helen Gym, Parker, and Rebecca Rhynhart had led in fundraising and media mentions.

Parker was elected to the city council in 2016 and served until 2022, when she resigned to run for mayor. She began her political career as a city council staff member and served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 2005 to 2016.[1] Parker was elected the council's majority leader in 2020.[2] Her website said, "It was in this role where she focused on public safety, stabilizing “middle neighborhoods,” economic opportunity – especially for small businesses, and working to get city government to function like it should."[3]

In the three Philadelphia mayoral elections since 1999 that did not have an incumbent, the winner of the Democratic primary received a majority of the vote once—Kenney's 56% in 2015. Michael Nutter won the Democratic primary in 2007 with 37% of the vote and John Street won the Democratic primary in 1999 with 36% of the vote.

Marcus Biddle at WHYY wrote before the election that, "Most candidates are making public health issues like gun violence a campaign priority. How they plan to solve those problems is another story...Improving major public health issues in Philadelphia — the gun violence crisis and the opioid epidemic among them — could be a deciding issue for many voters in the city’s mayoral race...As for the city’s gun violence crisis, most candidates agreed that improving and expanding access to behavioral health support, therapy, and trauma treatment is an urgent need."[4]

Rhynhart was elected Philadelphia City Controller in 2018 and resigned in 2022 to run for mayor. She was a former director at Fitch Ratings and managing director at Bear Stearns.[5] Rhynhart was appointed Philadelphia City Treasurer in 2008 by former Mayor Michael Nutter, and also served as the city's Budget Director and Chief Administrative Officer under Mayor Jim Kenney. Rhynhart's website said that her time spent in the city's various financial roles was important: "She used her financial expertise to expose wasteful spending and make government work more effectively with an emphasis on equity, fairness and social justice. She has shown courage in refusing to back down from tough fights in order to serve Philadelphia."[6]

Gym was elected as an at-large member of the Philadelphia City Council in 2015 and served until 2022, when she resigned to run for mayor. She was the former executive director of Asian Americans United and the co-founder of Parents United for Public Education, which described itself on its website as "a parent-led citywide organization focused on providing an independent voice for parents fighting for public education."[7] Gym said she ran for mayor "to finish a job I started 30 years ago, when I was a teacher and a tough Philly mom who refused to accept broken systems, took on tough challenges and organized alongside communities for change."[8]

Before the primary, Anna Orso, Sean Collins Walsh, and Julia Terruso wrote in The Philadelphia Inquirer: "To be clear, all of the major candidates will likely get at least some votes from every pocket of the city. But winning candidates typically have a strong base that they build out from...Rhynhart and Gym are both vying for liberal Center City voters, and Domb and Brown both probably need strong margins in the Northeast if they are going to win. And don’t forget about turnout. While Parker appears to have little competition for establishment-aligned Black voters, their share of the electorate has decreased over time, meaning she, too, will have to expand beyond her base to be successful."[9]

Domb was elected as an at-large member of the Philadelphia City Council in 2015 and served on the council until 2022, when he resigned to run for mayor. He was a realtor and founded a real estate agency. Domb said he was "running for mayor because Philadelphia is in crisis and needs a leader who has the experience and vision needed to take on our biggest challenges."[10]

Brown owned 12 grocery stores in the city and had never before run for elected office. He was endorsed by the city’s largest labor union, District Council 33 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, which represents 9,500 workers.[11] He told Axios he ran for mayor because "Philadelphia is an amazing city with great potential, but we have been failed by bad leadership. I want to be mayor to serve the people of our city, address structural poverty and make this the city we all deserve."[12]

Philadelphia has had a resign-to-run rule in its city charter since 1951. According to Henry Savage of The Philadelphia Inquirer, "If you work for the City of Philadelphia or hold an elected position in city government, you have to quit your job first in order to run for another public office. The only exception is if you are an elected official running for re-election."[13] Domb, Gym, Parker, and Rhynhart all held elected positions in the city until beginning their mayoral campaigns in 2022.

The filing deadline for the primary was March 8, 2023, and the filing deadline for the general election for independent candidates was August 1, 2023.

This page focuses on the Democratic primary for mayor. For more information on the general election, click here.

Delscia Gray (D) completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Click on a candidate's name to view that candidate's responses.

Election news

This section includes a timeline of events leading up to the election.

  • May 1, 2023: Candidates were required to submit campaign finance reports including receipts and expenditures through this date.
  • April 11, 2023: Amen Brown, Jeff Brown, Allan Domb, Derek Green, Helen Gym, Cherelle Parker, and Rebecca Rhynhart participated in a debate hosted by FOX 29 and Temple University.[14]
  • March 30, 2023: Jeff Brown, Allan Domb, Helen Gym, Maria Quiñones Sánchez, Rebecca Rhynhart participated in a mayoral candidate forum on jobs and the economy.[15]
  • March 27, 2023: Candidates were required to submit campaign finance reports including receipts and expenditures through this date.
  • March 21, 2023: Warren Bloom Sr., Amen Brown, Jimmy DeLeon, Derek Green, Helen Gym, Cherelle Parker, Rebecca Rhynhart, and Maria Quiñones Sánchez participated in a mayoral candidate forum on education.[16]

Elections

Candidates and results

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
✔
Image of Cherelle Parker
Cherelle Parker (D)
 
74.7
 
232,075
Image of David Oh
David Oh (R)
 
24.4
 
75,677
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.9
 
2,849

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 310,601
Candidate Connection = 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
✔
Image of Cherelle Parker
Cherelle Parker
 
32.6
 
81,080
Image of Rebecca Rhynhart
Rebecca Rhynhart
 
22.8
 
56,581
Image of Helen Gym
Helen Gym
 
22.0
 
54,705
Image of Allan Domb
Allan Domb
 
11.3
 
28,051
Image of Jeff Brown
Jeff Brown
 
8.8
 
21,868
Image of Amen Brown
Amen Brown
 
1.3
 
3,321
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James DeLeon III
 
0.6
 
1,488
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Submit photo
Delscia Gray Candidate Connection
 
0.2
 
582
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Submit photo
Warren Bloom
 
0.2
 
499
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.1
 
163

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 248,338
Candidate Connection = 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

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
✔
Image of David Oh
David Oh
 
95.5
 
15,355
 Other/Write-in votes
 
4.5
 
730

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 16,085
Candidate Connection = 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.

Candidate comparison

Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.

Jeff Brown

Image of Jeff Brown

WebsiteFacebookTwitterYouTube

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Biography:  Jeff Brown received a B.S. from Babson College in Entrpreneurship. His work experience included serving as CFO at Julen Enterprises and operating 12 grocery stores in Philadelphia as Chairman and CEO of Brown's Super Stores, Inc.


Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

Brown said one of his top priorities was addressing poverty: "Many of the challenges we face, as a city, are tied to longstanding, generational poverty that has been allowed to exist due to a failure of Philadelphia’s political leadership...Addressing this issue will require new ideas, innovative solutions, and someone who has a history of personally tackling these issues."

Brown published a plan to address crime in the city and said on his campaign site, "Philadelphians deserve a safe city and safe neighborhoods where they can raise their families without fear...It’s time for new approaches and fresh ideas - something the political establishment has been unable to deliver."

Brown listed increasing econominc opportunity for all as a top priority and said on his webiste, "For decades, Jeff has been a leading supporter of small minority businesses...Jeff believes that supporting small businesses and minority entrepreneurs is a key to improving conditions across all of Philadelphia."

Show sources

Sources: Jeff Brown for Mayor, "Vision for Philadelphia," accessed April 6, 2023;; Linkedin, "Jeff Brown, Candidate for Mayor of Philadelphia," accessed April 6, 2023;

This information was current as of the candidate's run for Mayor of Philadelphia in 2023.

Allan Domb

Image of Allan Domb

WebsiteFacebookTwitterYouTube

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: 

Philadelphia City Council (2016-2022)

Biography:  Domb received a degree from American Unversity. His work experience included serving as president of Allan Domb Real Estate, a Philadelphia real estate agency.


Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

Domb described the reason he was running for mayor on his campaign website, saying, "Allan is running for mayor because he understands that Philadelphia is in crises -- we have a public safety crisis, a poverty crisis, an affordable housing crisis and an education crisis."

Domb said on his campaign website that he would implement "a 10-point plan in his first 100 days" to address public safety: "The city’s entire public safety apparatus is in disarray due to a glaring lack of leadership from a Mayor who is checked out, a District Attorney who undermines confidence in the justice system as he mismanages his office, and a Police Department dangerously depleted and too often unable to bring perpetrators to justice."

Domb said on his website that he would focus on making city government more effective: "As the only candidate for mayor who has successfully built a business from the ground up, Allan is uniquely qualified to take on the challenge of fixing what’s broken in Philadelphia."

Show sources

Sources: Allan Domb for Mayor, "Allan Domb for Mayor.," accessed April 10, 2023; Philadelphia City Council, "Councilmember Allan Domb-Councilmember At-Large," accessed April 6, 2023;Linkedin, "Allan Domb, Candidate for Mayor of Philadelphia," accessed April 6, 2023;

This information was current as of the candidate's run for Mayor of Philadelphia in 2023.

Delscia Gray

Silhouette Placeholder Image.png Do you have a photo that could go here? Click here to submit it for this profile!

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "Protective Service Officer with Einstein East Norriton, Former Health Behavior Researcher with Public Health Department at Temple University. Former Medical Secretary at CHOP"

Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

Public Safety

Public Health

Protective Services

This information was current as of the candidate's run for Mayor of Philadelphia in 2023.

Helen Gym

Image of Helen Gym

WebsiteFacebookTwitterYouTube

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: 

Philadelphia City Council (Assumed office: 2016)

Biography:  Gym received a B.A. in history and economics and an M.S. in education from the University of Pennsylvania. Her work experience included serving as a Philadelphia school teacher, a board member and executive director of Asian Americans United, and the co-founder of Parents United for Public Education.


Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

Gym described the reason she was running for mayor on her campaign website, saying, "Philadelphia needs a proven leader who will fight for the city we call home and knows how to get results. Helen has a 30-year track record of taking on our city’s biggest challenges and delivering solutions that improved people’s lives, even when others said it was impossible."

Gym said public safety would be her top priority, stating on her campaign website, "on her first day as Mayor, she will enact a State of Emergency on gun violence and begin convening all City agencies and key external partners weekly in an effort to...Get illegal guns off our streets; Solve homicides and shootings,[and]...Reduce 911 response times."

Gym listed her beliefs about improving the city's economy on her website, stating, "First...it is necessary to be both pro-business and pro-worker to build an economy that works for all of us,...Second, Philadelphia’s tax structure must be re-examined and updated,...third, that a city that works for its citizens is one that will grow."

Show sources

Sources: Helen Gym for Mayor, "Issues," accessed April 6, 2023; Linkedin, "Helen Gym, Running to be Philadelphia's next Mayor," accessed April 6, 2023

This information was current as of the candidate's run for Mayor of Philadelphia in 2023.

Cherelle Parker

Image of Cherelle Parker

WebsiteFacebookTwitter

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: 

Pennsylvania House of Representatives (2005-2016)

Philadelphia City Council (2016-2022)

Biography:  Parker received a bachelor's degree from Linclon University and a master's degree from the University of Pennsylvania. Her work experience included being a public school teacher and serving on the staff of Philadelphia City Councilwoman Marian B. Tasco.


Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

Parker said on her website that she "introduced a comprehensive Neighborhood Safety and Community Policing Plan" that included "Hiring 300 additional foot and bike patrol officers...[and] Investing more in community engagement to address long-term issues that lead to a rise in crime."

Parker said on her campaign website that her plan for improving education "will transform how we think about public schooling, and will be paid for by leveraging existing funding, with new state and city funding." It included having "Schools open from 7:30am – 6:00pm for before and after-school enrichment, Year-Round Schooling, [and] High schools partner with businesses, city departments, and the Building Trades to provide training for jobs that are available and needed."

Parker said her experience as a state legislator would help her as mayor, telling The Philadelphia Inquirer, "I did not know that my 10 years in Harrisburg would become the greatest professional development I could have experienced in this world of public administration."

Show sources

Sources: Cherelle Parker for Mayor, "Issues," accessed April 7, 2023;The Philadelphia Inquirer, "Cherelle Parker is proud of her West Oak Lane roots. As mayor, could she save Philly’s ‘middle neighborhoods’?," April 5, 2023;; The Philadelphia Inquirer, "Tasco looks back as she prepares to leave City Council," January 19, 2015;Linkedin, "Cherelle Parker, Candidate for Mayor of Philadelphia, Former 9th District City Councilwoman/Majority Leader," accessed April 7, 2023;

This information was current as of the candidate's run for Mayor of Philadelphia in 2023.

Rebecca Rhynhart

Image of Rebecca Rhynhart

WebsiteFacebookTwitterYouTube

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: 

Philadelphia City Controller (2018-2022)

Biography:  Rhynhart received a B.A. from Middlebury College and a Master's in Public Administration from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. Her previous work experience included working at Harcourt Brace, Fitch Ratings, Bear Stearns, and as the City Treasurer, Budget Director, and Chief Administrative Officer for the City of Philadelphia.


Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

Rhynhart named public safety as a top priority on her campaign website and said she would "Declare a citywide emergency...Implement and fully fund proven intervention strategies...Get illegal guns off our streets...[make] Long-term Investments in Neighborhoods and Residents."

Rhynhart stated on her wesbite that she would "Appoint a school board aligned with long-term vision for our school district…Increase school funding, transparency and accountability…[and] Align city services to nurture our students and improve our schools."

Rhynhart told Axios that she was running because, "I love Philadelphia and I want to use my experience and knowledge of the city budget and city operations to make government truly work for our residents and to make Philadelphia safer and cleaner."

Show sources

Sources: Rebecca Rhynhart for Mayor, "Public Safety," accessed April 7, 2023;Rebecca Rhynhart for Mayor, "Education," accessed April 7, 2023;Axios Philadelphia, "Meet Philadelphia Dem mayoral candidates: Rebecca Rhynhart," April 3, 2023;; Linkedin, "Rebecca Rhynhart, Candidate for Mayor of Philadelphia," accessed April 7, 2023;

This information was current as of the candidate's run for Mayor of Philadelphia in 2023.

Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses

Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Survey responses from candidates in this race

Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Expand all | Collapse all

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Delscia Gray (D)

Public Safety

Public Health

Protective Services
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Delscia Gray (D)

Juvenile Crime Prevention - Play by the Rules - Law-Related Education
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Delscia Gray (D)

Tracy Betty Davis "Where do we do that at?"
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Delscia Gray (D)

How it Works Post-War Philadelphia
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Delscia Gray (D)

Integrity
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Delscia Gray (D)

Care about the people and what they want to make this city better.
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Delscia Gray (D)

Keeping this City safe, funding the police.
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Delscia Gray (D)

That I did a great job bringing this city back to a safe place to live.
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Delscia Gray (D)

The first historical event was when I filed my petition for Mayor of Philadelphia. I was 56 years old
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Delscia Gray (D)

Mayor Summer Youth Employment and Training Program - City of Philadelphia - 8 weeks
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Delscia Gray (D)

The Taoism of Pooh
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Delscia Gray (D)

Amelia Bedelia
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Delscia Gray (D)

What's going on by Marvin Gaye
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Delscia Gray (D)

Making ends meet.
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Delscia Gray (D)

Listen to the people. Get the budget under control.
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Delscia Gray (D)

The Public's Health
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Delscia Gray (D)

Work together on issues and come to a common ground.
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Delscia Gray (D)

The new shopping district in downtown Philadelphia
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Delscia Gray (D)

Keeping Older Adults safe and protecting them from harm. The health and welfare of children and adults.
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Delscia Gray (D)

In the end they come to a mutual agreement.
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Delscia Gray (D)

They both come to a mutual agreement on issues.
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Delscia Gray (D)

can not think of a joke right now.
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Delscia Gray (D)

They are working together to keep this city safe.
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Delscia Gray (D)

Engaging the public in policy-making helps democratic governance by promoting inclusivity and effective decision-making. When individual citizens participate in policy-making they become more informed about policy issues, develop civic skills, improve political efficacy, increase tolerance toward other community members, and have greater trust in the government's motives and decisions.
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Delscia Gray (D)

Continue to support Philadelphia's vision of evolving its emergency communications networking technology and facilities to deliver the highest level of service to the city's first responders and the public.
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Delscia Gray (D)

Intensive foot patrol efforts in violent hotspots to achieve deference at a micro spatial level primarily by increasing certainty of disruption, apprehension, and arrest
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Delscia Gray (D)

Gentrification can be triggered by an increase in public-sector investment in transit, pedestrian,

bicycle, and green infrastructure; in the upgrading of utilities and facilities that have fallen into disrepair; in the sale of public land to private developers; and in increased police presence to “protect” new residents from real or perceived crime. Although such investments can be positive for the neighborhood residents and businesses, they can also lead to a lack of rootedness and sense of belonging for long-time residents, significant rent increases and tenant evictions, a loss of available affordable housing stock,

and, ultimately, displacement of some of the least well-off
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Delscia Gray (D)

To reopen Calder Gardens
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Delscia Gray (D)

Develop a quantitative public health risk assessment
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Delscia Gray (D)

Increase the funding level of the pension system
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Delscia Gray (D)

Bring in the top epidemiologist to educate the City of Philadelphia as to where we are with COVID-19
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Delscia Gray (D)

Organize political action to ensure just and effective public policies.
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Delscia Gray (D)

Develop social change and environmental sustainability
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Delscia Gray (D)

The vulnerability of leadership appears to influence population behavior. Public health departments likely need more resources to effectively and persuasively communicate critically

safety messages related to COVID-19 transmission.

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Delscia Gray (D)

Record requests should be made in person with the proper identification
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Delscia Gray (D)

Homicide rates have increased according to the police department data sites. I would place more foot patrol on the streets of Philadelphia with mobile stations in the highest crime rates of the city,
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Delscia Gray (D)

None



Campaign advertisements

Democratic Party Jeff Brown

May 10, 2023
May 8, 2023
March 23, 2023

View more ads here:


Democratic Party Allan Domb

May 11, 2023
May 6, 2023
May 4, 2023

View more ads here:


Democratic Party Helen Gym

April 27, 2023
April 19, 2023
April 5, 2023

View more ads here:


Democratic Party Cherelle Parker

May 4, 2023
May 2, 2023
May 2, 2023

View more ads here:


Democratic Party Rebecca Rhynhart

May 10, 2023
May 8, 2023
April 10, 2023

View more ads here:


Debates and forums

This section includes links to debates, forums, and other similar events where multiple candidates in this race participated. If you are aware of any debates or forums that should be included, please email us. Know of a debate or forum we're missing? Email us.

April 11, 2023 debate

On April 11, 2023, Amen Brown, Jeff Brown, Allan Domb, Derek Green, Helen Gym, Cherelle Parker, and Rebecca Rhynhart participated in a debate hosted by FOX 29 and Temple University.[20]

Click on the link below for a summary of the event:

March 30, 2023 forum

On March 30, 2023, Jeff Brown, Allan Domb, Helen Gym, Maria Quiñones Sánchez, Rebecca Rhynhart participated in a mayoral candidate forum on jobs and the economy.

March 21, 2023 forum

On March 21, 2023, Warren Bloom Sr., Amen Brown, Jimmy DeLeon, Derek Green, Helen Gym, Cherelle Parker, Rebecca Rhynhart, and Maria Quiñones Sánchez participated in a mayoral candidate forum on education.

Click on the link below for a summary of the event:

March 14, 2023 forum

On March 14, 2023, Warren Bloom, Jeff Brown, James DeLeon, Allan Domb, Derek Green, Helen Gym, David Oh, Cherelle Parker, Maria Quinones-Sanchez, and Rebecca Rhynhart participated in a mayoral candidate forum on hospitality and tourism.

February 18, 2023 forum

On February 18, 2023, Warren Bloom, Amen Brown, Jeff Brown, James DeLeon, Allan Domb, Derek Green, Helen Gym, Cherelle Parker, Maria Quinones-Sanchez, and Rebecca Rhynhart participated in a mayoral candidate forum on the future of Philadelphia.

January 19, 2023 forum

On January 19, 2023, Warren Bloom, Jeff Brown, James DeLeon, Allan Domb, Derek Green, Helen Gym, Cherelle Parker, Maria Quinones-Sanchez, and Rebecca Rhynhart participated in a mayoral candidate forum on gun violence.

Noteworthy endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

This section lists noteworthy endorsements issued in this election, including those made by high-profile individuals and organizations, cross-party endorsements, and endorsements made by newspaper editorial boards. It also includes a bulleted list of links to official lists of endorsements for any candidates who published that information on their campaign websites. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please click here.


Democratic primary endorsements
Endorser Democratic Party Jeff Brown Democratic Party Helen Gym Democratic Party Cherelle Parker Democratic Party Rebecca Rhynhart
Government officials
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders  source   ✔    
U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D)  source   ✔    
Individuals
Frmr. Mayor Michael Nutter  source       ✔
Frmr. Mayor Ed Rendell  source       ✔
Frmr. Mayor John Street  source       ✔
Newspapers and editorials
The Philadelphia Inquirer  source       ✔
The Philadelphia Tribune Editorial Board  source     ✔  
Organizations
District Council 33 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees  source ✔      
Working Families Party  source   ✔    


Election competitiveness

Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

Polls are conducted with a variety of methodologies and have margins of error or credibility intervals.[21] The Pew Research Center wrote, "A margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points at the 95% confidence level means that if we fielded the same survey 100 times, we would expect the result to be within 3 percentage points of the true population value 95 of those times."[22]

Below we provide results for polls when available. We only report polls for which we can find a margin of error or credibility interval. If you know a poll that should be included, please email us.

Mayor of Philadelphia, 2023: Democratic primary election polls
Poll Date J. Brown Domb Gym Parker Rhynhart Undecided/
Other 		Margin of error Sample size[23] Sponsor[24]
Emerson College Polling May 7-9, 2023 10 % 14 % 21 % 18 % 18 19 %[25] +/- 3.9 600 LV WPHL17
Survey USA April 21-25, 2023 11 % 14 % 15 % 17 % 18 25 %[26] +/- 3.8 1,013 LV Committee of Seventy/FairVote


Election spending

Campaign finance

This section contains campaign finance figures from candidates submitted to the City of Philadelphia Board of Ethics and Office Of The City Commissioners during the primary election.

Election context

Mayoral partisanship

Philadelphia has a Democratic mayor. As of September 2025, 66 mayors in the largest 100 cities by population are affiliated with the Democratic Party, 23 are affiliated with the Republican Party, one is affiliated with the Libertarian Party, three are independents, five identify as nonpartisan or unaffiliated, and two mayors' affiliations are unknown. Click here for a list of the 100 largest cities' mayors and their partisan affiliations.

Mayoral elections are officially nonpartisan in most of the nation's largest cities. However, many officeholders are affiliated with political parties. Ballotpedia uses one or more of the following sources to identify each officeholder's partisan affiliation: (1) direct communication from the officeholder, (2) current or previous candidacy for partisan office, or (3) identification of partisan affiliation by multiple media outlets.

Election history

2019

See also: Mayoral election in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (2019)

General election

General election for Mayor of Philadelphia

Incumbent James Kenney defeated William Ciancaglini in the general election for Mayor of Philadelphia on November 5, 2019.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of James Kenney
James Kenney (D)
 
80.0
 
213,390
Image of William Ciancaglini
William Ciancaglini (R) Candidate Connection
 
19.7
 
52,537
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.3
 
724

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 266,651
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Mayor of Philadelphia

Incumbent James Kenney defeated Anthony Williams and Alan Butkovitz in the Democratic primary for Mayor of Philadelphia on May 21, 2019.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of James Kenney
James Kenney
 
66.9
 
133,966
Image of Anthony Williams
Anthony Williams
 
24.3
 
48,672
Image of Alan Butkovitz
Alan Butkovitz
 
8.8
 
17,517

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 200,155
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Mayor of Philadelphia

William Ciancaglini advanced from the Republican primary for Mayor of Philadelphia on May 21, 2019.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of William Ciancaglini
William Ciancaglini Candidate Connection
 
99.6
 
17,291
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.4
 
68

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 17,359
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2015

See also: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania municipal elections, 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 for mayor, James Kenney defeated Anthony Williams, T. Milton Street, Doug Oliver, Nelson Diaz and Lynne Abraham. In the Republican primary, Melissa Lynn Bailey ran unopposed.[27] Kenney defeated Bailey, Socialist Workers Party candidate Osborne Hart and Independent candidates James Foster and Boris Kindij in the general election. Incumbent Michael Nutter (D) was ineligible to run for re-election after two terms due to term limits.[28]

Mayor of Philadelphia, General election, 2015
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.png James Kenney 85.4% 203,730
     Republican Melissa Lynn Bailey 13.2% 31,563
     Independent James Foster 0.7% 1,713
     Socialist Workers Osborne Hart 0.5% 1,234
     Independent Boris Kindij 0.1% 321
Write-in votes 0.04% 103
Total Votes 238,664
Source: City of Philadelphia, "Official general election results," accessed November 23, 2015

Mayor of Philadelphia Democratic Primary, 2015
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngJames Kenney 55.8% 130,775
Anthony Williams 26.1% 61,160
Lynne Abraham 8.4% 19,782
Doug Oliver 4.2% 9,934
Nelson Diaz 3.7% 8,691
T. Milton Street 1.7% 3,937
Write-in 0% 24
Total Votes 234,303
Source: Philadelphia City Commissioners, "Historical Election Results," accessed August 24, 2015

2011

Mayor of Philadelphia, 2011
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngMichael Nutter 74.6% 136,532
     Republican Karen Brown 21.6% 39,597
     Independent Wali Rahman 3.6% 6,580
     -- Write-ins 0.1% 212
Total Votes 182,921
Election results via Office of the Philadelphia City Commissioners


Mayor of Philadelphia Democratic primary, 2011
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngMichael Nutter 75.8% 113,484
T. Milton Street 24.1% 36,030
Write-ins 0.1% 146
Total Votes 149,660
Election results via Office of the Philadelphia City Commissioners.


Mayor of Philadelphia Republican primary, 2011
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngKaren Brown 50.1% 8,369
John Featherman 49.7% 8,305
Write-ins 0.2% 28
Total Votes 16,702
Election results via Office of the Philadelphia City Commissioners.

2007

Mayor of Philadelphia, 2007
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngMichael Nutter 82.5% 227,090
     Republican Al Taubenberger 17.1% 46,984
     Socialist Workers John Staggs 0.4% 1,038
     -- Write-ins 0% 78
Total Votes 275,190
Election results via Office of the Philadelphia City Commissioners


Mayor of Philadelphia Democratic primary, 2007
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngMichael Nutter 36.6% 106,805
Thomas J. Knox 24.6% 71,731
Robert A. Brady 15.3% 44,474
Chaka Fattah 15.2% 44,301
Dwight Evans 7.8% 22,782
Queena Bass 0.3% 950
Jesus White 0.1% 437
Write-ins 0% 12
Total Votes 291,492
Election results via Office of the Philadelphia City Commissioners.


Mayor of Philadelphia Republican primary, 2007
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngAl Taubenberger 99.5% 17,449
Write-ins 0.5% 88
Total Votes 17,537
Election results via Office of the Philadelphia City Commissioners.

2003

Mayor of Philadelphia, 2003
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngJohn F. Street 58.3% 267,276
     Republican Sam Katz 41.3% 189,357
     Socialist Workers John Staggs 0.3% 1,292
     -- Write-ins 0% 164
Total Votes 458,089
Election results via Office of the Philadelphia City Commissioners


Mayor of Philadelphia Democratic primary, 2003
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngJohn F. Street 99.6% 93,799
Write-ins 0.4% 387
Total Votes 94,186
Election results via Office of the Philadelphia City Commissioners.


Mayor of Philadelphia Republican primary, 2003
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngSam Katz 99.9% 18,973
Write-ins 0.1% 14
Total Votes 18,987
Election results via Office of the Philadelphia City Commissioners.

1999

Mayor of Philadelphia, 1999
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngJohn F. Street 50.2% 211,136
     Republican Sam Katz 48.5% 203,908
     -- Other 1.3% 5,376
Total Votes 420,420
Election results via Franklin and Marshall College


Mayor of Philadelphia Democratic primary, 1999
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngJohn F. Street 36.1% 107,285
Martin Weinberg 30.8% 91,457
John F. White Jr. 21.8% 64,657
Happy Craven Fernandez 6.1% 18,200
Dwight Evans 4.6% 13,711
Queena Bass 0.6% 1,802
Total Votes 297,112
Election results via Our Campaigns.


Mayor of Philadelphia Republican primary, 1999
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngSam Katz 100% 27,011
Total Votes 27,011
Election results via Our Campaigns.

About the office

See also: Mayor-council government

The city of Philadelphia uses a strong mayor-council system. In this form of municipal government, an elected mayor serves as the city's chief executive officer while an elected city council serves as the municipal legislature. Mayor-council systems are often described as strong or weak based on how much power is given to the mayor. Philadelphia is a strong mayor-council city, with the mayor's powers including the ability to veto bills passed by the council and to submit the city's initial budget proposal.[29]

About the city

See also: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia is a city in Pennsylvania. The city is consolidated with Philadelphia County, which means that the city and county share a government and boundaries. It is the center of the Delaware Valley Metropolitan Area. As of 2020, its population was 1,603,797.

City government

See also: Mayor-council government

The city of Philadelphia uses a strong mayor and city council system. In this form of municipal government, the city council serves as the city's primary legislative body and the mayor serves as the city's chief executive.[30][31]

Demographics

The following table displays demographic data provided by the United States Census Bureau.

Demographic Data for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia Pennsylvania
Population 1,603,797 13,002,700
Land area (sq mi) 134 44,741
Race and ethnicity**
White 39.3% 79.4%
Black/African American 41.4% 11.1%
Asian 7.4% 3.5%
Native American 0.3% 0.2%
Pacific Islander 0% 0%
Other (single race) 7.3% 2.4%
Multiple 4.3% 3.4%
Hispanic/Latino 15.1% 7.6%
Education
High school graduation rate 85.7% 91%
College graduation rate 31.2% 32.3%
Income
Median household income $49,127 $63,627
Persons below poverty level 23.1% 12%
Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2020). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2015-2020).
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.


2023 battleground elections

See also: Battlegrounds

This election was a battleground race. Other 2023 battleground elections included:

See also

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Municipal government Other local coverage
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Municipal Government Final.png
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External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Linkedin, "Cherelle Parker, Candidate for Mayor of Philadelphia, Former 9th District City Councilwoman/Majority Leader," accessed April 7, 2023
  2. ↑ The Philadelphia Inquirer, "Philadelphia City Council gets a leadership shakeup, with Cherelle Parker beating Bobby Henon as majority leader," January 6, 2020
  3. ↑ Cherelle Parker for Mayor, "About Cherelle," accessed April 7, 2023
  4. ↑ WHYY, "Gun violence, opioid crisis dominate Philly mayoral debate on public health," April 5, 2023
  5. ↑ https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-rhynhart-828a2b2a/ Linkedin, "Rebecca Rhynhart, Candidate for Mayor of Philadelphia," accessed April 7, 2023]
  6. ↑ Rebecca Rhynhart for Mayor, "Leadership & Experience," accessed April 7, 2023
  7. ↑ Parents United for Public Education, "Home," accessed April 10, 2023
  8. ↑ Axios Philadelphia, "Meet Philadelphia's Dem mayoral candidates: Helen Gym," April 3, 2023
  9. ↑ The Philadelphia Inquirer, "Breaking down 5 candidates’ paths to victory | The 100th mayor newsletter," April 18, 2023
  10. ↑ Allan Domb for Mayor, "Allan Domb for Mayor," accessed April 10, 2023
  11. ↑ The Philadelphia Citizen, "Who Is Jeff Brown?" March 17, 2023
  12. ↑ Axios Philadelphia, "Meet Philadelphia's Dem mayoral candidates: Jeff Brown," April 3, 2023
  13. ↑ The Philadelphia Inquirer, "What is Philly’s resign-to-run rule?" August 15, 2022
  14. ↑ The Philadelphia Inquirer, "Sparring over the Sixers arena, Jeff Brown responds to ethics probe, and other top moments from Philly’s mayor debate," April 12, 2023
  15. ↑ YouTube, "Philadelphia's mayoral candidates are interviewed on their economic plans with 6abc's Jim Gardner," March 30, 2023
  16. ↑ WHYY, "Philly mayoral candidates discuss school conditions, gun violence during forum," March 22, 2023
  17. ↑ 6abc, "The Mayoral Candidates Forum on Hospitality & Tourism," March 14, 2023
  18. ↑ CBS News Philadelphia, "Democratic candidates for mayor hold forum in West Philly," February 19, 2023
  19. ↑ 6abc, "The Mayoral Candidate Forum on Gun Violence," January 19, 2023
  20. ↑ Fox29 Philadelphia, "Philadelphia's Next Mayor: Democratic Primary Debate on FOX 29," April 9, 2023
  21. ↑ For more information on the difference between margins of error and credibility intervals, see explanations from the American Association for Public Opinion Research and Ipsos.
  22. ↑ Pew Research Center, "5 key things to know about the margin of error in election polls," September 8, 2016
  23. ↑ RV=Registered Voters
    LV=Likely Voters
  24. ↑ The sponsor is the person or group that funded all or part of the poll.
  25. ↑ Undecided/Others
  26. ↑ Undecided/Others
  27. ↑ Philadelphia City Commissioners, "Historical Election Results," accessed August 24, 2015
  28. ↑ Office of the Philadelphia City Commissioners, "Comprehensive Election Calendar," accessed November 17, 2014
  29. ↑ Committee of Seventy, "How City Council Works," accessed March 15, 2019
  30. ↑ City of Philadelphia, "Government Organization," accessed October 29, 2014
  31. ↑ Philadelphia City Charter, 1.101-102, accessed October 29, 2014
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