Phillip Lee Westry

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

Phillip Lee Westry

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

June 2, 2020

Personal

Profession

Attorney

Contact

Campaign website

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Phillip Lee Westry (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Baltimore City Council to represent District 12 in Maryland. He lost in the Democratic primary on June 2, 2020.

Westry completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Phillip Lee Westry was born in Aschaffenburg, Germany. He earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Maryland in 2006. He earned a graduate degree from the University of Maryland School of Law in 2012. Westry's career experience includes working as an attorney. He has been affiliated with Pratt Contemporaries as a board member, and as a volunteer with the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service.

Elections

2020

See also: City elections in Baltimore, Maryland (2020)

General election

General election for Baltimore City Council District 12

Incumbent Robert Stokes Sr. defeated Franca Muller Paz and Eugene Boikai in the general election for Baltimore City Council District 12 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Robert Stokes Sr. (D)	59.5	8,079
		Franca Muller Paz (G)	35.9	4,868
		Eugene Boikai (R)	4.3	582
		Other/Write-in votes	0.3	43

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 13,572
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Baltimore City Council District 12

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for Baltimore City Council District 12 on June 2, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Robert Stokes Sr.	40.4	3,180
		Phillip Lee Westry	37.3	2,932
	Submit photo	Gary Crum	9.6	757
	Submit photo	Dave Heilker	5.9	463
	Submit photo	Matthew Reeds	3.9	304
	Submit photo	Haroon Ajaz	2.9	226

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 7,862
= 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 Baltimore City Council District 12

Eugene Boikai advanced from the Republican primary for Baltimore City Council District 12 on June 2, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Eugene Boikai	100.0	134

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 134
= 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

2020

Video for Ballotpedia

Video submitted to Ballotpedia Released May 14, 2019

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Phillip Lee Westry completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Westry'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.

As a public interest attorney, I have spent my legal career fighting for working families and underserved communities. I have helped single parents save their homes from foreclosure and eviction, represented renters against slum landlords, and aided seniors that have fallen victim to fraud and unlawful debt collection practices. I am ready to bring my passion to City Hall!

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?

• Affordable, Safe and Decent Housing is a Right
• Working People, Deserve a Living Wage
• Our Communities are Better When We Look-out for Each Other

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

As an attorney, I have represented people in foreclosure and have seen first-hand what happens when working families cannot own property and build wealth in their community. I support a 2020 version of the dollar house program that is income-restricted, with education and qualification for a 403K loan. Also, an additional tax on vacant properties to stop speculators from sitting on properties.

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

Baltimore City Council is the closest elected official to everyday Baltimoreans. I would be a legislator with the ability to help shape policy for the city, but also a partner in community development.

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

One of my heroes is my first managing attorney. She inspired me to stay in the public interest law field. I will never forget her mentorship and friendship.

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

Books: Not in My Neighborhood, Nickel & Dimed, and The Beautiful Struggle.

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

I attended law school at the University of Maryland School of Law while working full-time at Community Law in Action (CLIA). I managed CLIA's mentoring and internship programs and spearheaded the org workforce development initiative.

After graduating from law school, I landed my first legal job at St. Ambrose Housing Center, helping low-income seniors and citizens stay above water on their mortgages, ensuring that they kept their family homes and located affordable housing when necessary.

Currently, I provide free legal assistance to city residents in the areas of landlord and tenant laws, debt collection, and criminal expungement.

In my free time, I volunteer with Freestate Justice, Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service, Pro Bono Resource Center, and is a board member of the Pratt Contemporaries.

I am continuing the fight for economic inequality with my running for City Council in Baltimore's 12th District.

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

One of the core responsibilities of the office is the advice and consent of the council for mayoral appointments.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like to restore trust in public servants and respect to public service. I believe the work of the people can still be done and that we have to build a system that is transparent and inclusive.

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

The end of the Gulf War was the first historical event that I remember. I was 5 years old.

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

I was a cashier at Krispy Kreme Doughnuts at the age of 14. I worked there for 18 months. My favorite part of the job was giving free doughnuts to people waiting in line when the "Hot Doughnuts" sign was on!

What is your favorite book? Why?

Tuesdays with Morrie. I love intergenerational relationship stories. We have a lot to learn for our elders!

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Sherlock Holmes

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

Before I Let Go, Beyonce's Version

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

I grew up with a single mother, and my father struggled with drug addiction. I remember spending my teenage and early adult years angry with my dad. I am proud that I have a good relationship with him now, recognizing we cannot get back the years we spent without each other.

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

No. I would love to see more diversity of legislative bodies, especially service providers, like teachers, nurses, and social workers.

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

Thoughtfulness and willingness to lesson to people regardless of their background.

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.

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