Parker endorses Sharif Street in Philly congressional race
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Mayor Cherelle Parker is jumping into the race for Philadelphia's congressional seat by backing state Sen. Sharif Street.
Why it matters: The May 19 Democratic primary for the 3rd Congressional District — the premier race in Philly this year — is tight, and Parker's backing will likely give Street an extra boost.
The big picture: The election is part of a generational shift unfolding across the Democratic Party in the post-Biden era.
- U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans, who is in his 70s, is not running for reelection for his seat that includes parts of Philly. He served in state politics for decades before entering Congress in 2016.
- But after suffering a stroke in 2024, he missed months' worth of congressional votes, leading to questions over his fitness for office.
Driving the news: Parker said during a news conference Wednesday that Street would be her reliable partner in Congress to leverage federal resources to help Philly.
- The mayor made her endorsement outside City Hall, flanked by city and state legislators.
Context: Street is a state senator representing parts of North Philly and is the son of former Philly Mayor John F. Street.
- He recently headed the state Democratic Party before stepping down to run for Congress.
Between the lines: Parker's endorsement of Street isn't a shocker.
- Just like Parker, Street has the backing of Philly's politically powerful building trades unions.
- Plus: Street has the endorsement of Philly's Democratic City Committee.
The other side: The other candidates vying for the seat are:
- Ala Stanford: A pediatric surgeon and political newcomer who rose to prominence running COVID-19 testing clinics in underserved neighborhoods. She has the backing of Evans.
- Chris Rabb: A state representative and the progressive in the race.
- Shaun Griffith: An attorney and tax adviser.
Flashback: Heading into the year, Street had a financial lead, with nearly $701,000 in contributions, per federal campaign finance reports.
- That's compared to Stanford with more than $467,000 (which includes $250,000 she loaned her campaign) and Rabb's $384,000.
- Griffith didn't have any campaign finance details available on the Federal Election Commission's website.
Context: The winner of the Democratic primary will likely go on to win in November and has the potential to hold the seat for decades.
- That's because the seat is a "safe" Democratic seat in deep-blue Philly.
- Republicans also failed to field a primary candidate, so their ticket will likely be blank in November.
What we're watching: For candidates' federal campaign finance reports to drop this week.