Michael Bradley (Pennsylvania)

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Michael Bradley

Republican Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 5, 2019

Education

Graduate

Drexel University

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Army

Years of service

1995 - 2007

Personal

Birthplace

Philadelphia, Pa.

Religion

Christian: Catholic

Profession

Construction management

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Michael Bradley (Republican Party) ran for election to the Philadelphia City Council to represent District 2 in Pennsylvania. Bradley lost in the general election on November 5, 2019.

Bradley completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Michael Bradley was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Bradley served in the United States Army from 1995 to 2007. He attended Jefferson Community College, Armstrong Atlantic University, and Drexel University for undergraduate study and attended Drexel University for graduate study. Bradley's career experience includes working as a project leader in construction management. He has been affiliated with the American Legion, the VFW, the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, and Phi Sigma Pi.

Elections

2019

See also: City council elections in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (2019)

General election

General election for Philadelphia City Council District 2

Incumbent Kenyatta Johnson defeated Michael Bradley in the general election for Philadelphia City Council District 2 on November 5, 2019.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kenyatta Johnson (D)	78.9	23,931
		Michael Bradley (R)	19.8	6,004
		Other/Write-in votes	1.2	378

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 30,313
= 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.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Philadelphia City Council District 2

Incumbent Kenyatta Johnson defeated Lauren Vidas in the Democratic primary for Philadelphia City Council District 2 on May 21, 2019.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kenyatta Johnson	59.7	13,358
		Lauren Vidas	40.2	8,995
		Other/Write-in votes	0.0	5

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 22,358
= 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.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Philadelphia City Council District 2

Michael Bradley advanced from the Republican primary for Philadelphia City Council District 2 on May 21, 2019.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Michael Bradley	99.8	1,445
		Other/Write-in votes	0.2	3

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,448
= 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.

Campaign themes

2019

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Michael Bradley completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Bradley's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I was born and raised in South Philadelphia, and still reside in Grays Ferry, where I am involved in numerous local civic groups. I am a twelve-year Army veteran, and am currently employed as a Project Manager for a construction management company in Wilmington, Delaware. I am a proud father of five, of Irish and Italian descent, and am a practicing Roman Catholic. I attended all local schools, including King of Peace, Saint John Neumann, and Parkway High School. While serving our nation in the Army, I completed courses at Atlantic Armstrong University and Central Texas College, and earned an Associate's Degree from Jefferson Community College. Throughout my service in the US Army, I had the distinction of leading some of the best citizens and immigrants this country could produce while proudly serving as a construction team leader in various engineer units on three different continents. I was decorated for my performance as an Operations and Training NCO overseeing a Combat Heavy Engineer Battalion and then a Brigade Engineer Battalion. After completing my military service, I went back to school, earning a Bachelor of Science Degree from Drexel, and later finishing my Master's Degree - while working full-time - from Drexel in Construction Management and Sustainable Design. After finishing school in 2014, I recognized a need for more information distribution about matters important to my community, and the need for more community engagement. After helping to set up community organization in Grays Ferry, I went on to help form community organizations in Southwest and North Philly. Since then, I have remained engaged in working with all the local community organizations, as well as participating on the local zoning board. I don't want a political career but I believe we need someone to actually represent other hardworking people in my district and not play politics with solutions.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• None of the prpoblems we face in our city are political but politics seem to hold back solutions. We need someoe to just do the work and forget about reelection.
• City politics is about "Money" and "Power", if we want to break up this cycle of corruption we are going to have to vote for people not connected with the usual power brokers.
• City hides behind the lack of transparency. We need someone to bring the truth from behind those walls. None of our tax dollars are going where they should and they still demand more.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Government is responsible to provide for basic community needs like safety, education and services. They fail miserably at this yet, they tell us to trust them on big issues like: the violence across the city, the failing school district, the shortage of low skill - meaningful employment, our crumbling infrastructure, our pending pension crises, rampant gentrification of our neighborhoods, out of control and unfair taxes. They cannot through all the money they steal from us and with all their political power behind them seem to be able to solve the most minimal issues much less the issues that have plagued our city for decades. We need to stop voting for politicians.

To Start we should:

• Break the cycle of corruption in city hall
• Term limits for City Council
• Make sure we account for all our tax dollars
• Audit, then fully fund the school district
• Repeal the Soda Tax and ease taxes on small businesses
• Throw out the flawed property tax assessment
• Eliminate the wage tax for the poor, all teachers and first responders
• Modify the tax abatement to foster growth without gentrification
• Make city services function the way they are supposed to
• Allow more school choice, parents deserve a say who educates their child
• Fund community organizations based on their mission and not politics

• Address crime with both short and long term solutions (Education / Employment)

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the state government and legal system?

This office represents and provides services to a group of diverse neighborhoods home to over 100,000 souls. It has legislative power in conjunction with the rest of city council to address issues in the city along with putting us on the path of social and economic growth.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus. According to Roman legend, Cincinnatus was tending his farm when a messenger arrived, telling him that Rome was under attack and that he had been elected dictator. He was at first reluctant to go, but the Senate pleaded with him. He defeated the enemy tribe within a matter of weeks and, despite there remaining most of his six-month term as dictator with absolute power, returned to his farm. He had all the power with no checks and gave it up and returned home.

I believe in this concept and the notion of the Founding Fathers of this country that we shouldn't have career politicians. There are several crises' the city is facing that needs to be dealt with swiftly and without bias. After that I promise to fulfill my term representing the communities in my district and then hopefully someone will emerge who wants to take it the rest of the way. I'd like to go home after that and continue my work in my neighborhood.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

"1776" by David Mccullough and the Movie "Lincoln." Our Liberty was hard won and still very fragile. We need to get back to choosing people and not parties.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Work ethic and transparency. Not everyone will agree with the representative but they should represent everyone in the open.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I have been selfless serving my country and my community for most of my life. I put others before myself and get a utility value from helping people. I don't want to be a career politician and abhor the way politics gets in the way of solution to problems. I am successful in an industry that does not forgive failure and I have never lost touch with the struggles of the people in my community. I excelled in the leadership roles I have been placed in my life even though I don't like spotlight. I simply care and worry about our neighborhoods if we continue with the same corrupt individuals.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

To represent all the neighborhoods in the district without bias, politics or income. Resources should be allocated on needs not political support. Organizations should be measured on success not political affiliation. We have problems that have nothing to do with politics but politics get in the way because officials are too worried about being reelected. .

What legacy would you like to leave?

I hope if elected I can leave a model of how to represent a group of diverse communities without bias and corruption. I would like to leave a model of what it means to actually "serve" the community.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I remember watching the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster on T.V. with my Grandmother. I was around 10 years old.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job was delivering flyers for a corner sandwich shop in grade school. Probably work there two summers.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

"Renegades" - X Ambassadors.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

My whole life has been struggles.

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

Recently the unspoken and not legally binding practice of Councilmanic Prerogative has been a topic of discussion. This is the practice where a Council member invokes the practice to do things in his/ her district and the rest of city council goes along with it and in return the favor is given back when the voting council member asked for their district. This practice has been used in nefarious ways over the years.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

No, for an office that is the lowest level representing neighborhoods I believe it's better to have "real' people that have to deal with the policies this office enacts. One just needs the competency and caring heart for problem solving. A copy of Roberts Rules and to employ a lawyer on staff.

What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess?

Any working knowledge of business administration, budgeting (business or personal), any leadership roles, military or law enforcement, education, community organizer. Almost anything that matches real world experience and common sense.

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.

See also

2019 Elections

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Government

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