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Pennsylvania's richest man is trying to thwart this AOC-backed candidate for Philadelphia mayor [1]

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Date: 2023-05-09

Gym’s team previously insinuated that Yass was financing the offensive against their candidate, who has the backing of the American Federation of Teachers and prominent national progressives like Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, though it's only now that we have confirmation.

There’s no word if the billionaire, who has donated over $55 million to support Republicans in federal elections, has a favorite candidate in the contest to succeed termed-out incumbent Jim Kenney, though supporters of two other contenders have made contributions to the same PAC. The Laborers District Council, which is pulling for former city council member Cherelle Parker, chipped in $25,000, while former Mayor Michael Nutter, who is backing former city controller Rebecca Rhynhart, contributed $3,100.

Kenney himself said Monday that he had voted for Parker while still insisting, “I’m not endorsing anyone publicly. I don’t think it’s right for any old mayor to be endorsing anybody, in truth.” Kenney said of Parker, who would be the first Black woman to hold the post, “I think she has the ability to lead the city forward, and honestly I think it’s time for a woman of color.” (Gym, who is Asian American, would also achieve this distinction in a city that has yet to elect a woman mayor.) But Parker’s campaign seems to be just fine to treat Kenney's vote as anything other than an endorsement, as a spokesperson didn’t even comment when asked about the news.

The only recent poll we’ve seen testing Kenney’s standing with primary voters was a mid-April internal for former city council member Allan Domb, who has aired ads highlighting his conflicts with the mayor, and it showed the incumbent with a poor image. GBAO’s memo said that just only 41% of respondents approved of Kenney’s performance in office, though it didn’t reveal how many disapproved. And none of Kenney’s potential successors seem to view him as an electoral asset: The candidates were asked to grade his time in office at a debate earlier last month, and the C from Parker was the most positive score anyone would offer.

All of this comes as polls show a tight race next week to secure the plurality needed to win the Democratic nomination, which is almost always tantamount to election in the City of Brotherly Love. Gym’s team on Friday unveiled a survey from Data for Progress that found her deadlocked 21-21 with Rhynhart, with Parker just behind with 19%; Domb was further back with 13%, with grocer Jeff Brown at 9%. The survey was finished April 29, which was just as the Yass-financed ads against Gym began airing.

An independent poll from SurveyUSA for several nonaligned groups also found a cliffhanger late last month, with Rhynhart edging out Parker 19-17 as Gym, Domb, and Brown respectively took 16%, 15%, and 12%. Domb’s internal, by contrast, had the former city controller ahead of Gym 21-19 with himself at 17%; those numbers placed Parker and Brown at 16% and 13%. This tight primary comes at the tail end of what the Philadelphia Inquirer says is “easily the most expensive election in Philadelphia history.” The candidates and super PACs combined have brought in a total of $31.4 million, with Domb alone self-funding just under a third of that.

Unless one of the five major candidates shocks everyone next week, this would be the first Democratic mayoral primary of the 21st century with a margin of victory in the single digits. The last time Philadelphia saw such a close race was in 1999, when John Street beat Martin Weinberg 36-31 ahead of a tight general election win over Republican Sam Katz. There’s little question, though, that whoever takes the Democratic nod this year is in for an easier time in November against former council member David Oh, who has the GOP primary to himself but faces long odds in a city that Joe Biden carried 81-18.

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/5/9/2168147/-Pennsylvania-s-richest-man-is-trying-to-thwart-this-AOC-backed-candidate-for-Philadelphia-mayor

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