Democratic candidate Cherelle Parker defeated Republican David Oh with approximately 82 percent of the vote to become the next mayor of Philadelphia Tuesday night, The Associated Press reported.
Parker, a former state representative in Northwest Philadelphia, resigned as the City Council’s Democratic majority leader in September 2022 to launch her bid to succeed current mayor Jim Kenney. With her win, she will become the first female mayor of Philadelphia.
Parker’s campaign mainly focused on public safety, economic opportunity, education and investing in community initiatives.
She introduced a neighborhood safety and community policing plan in March 2022 that would address citywide police shortages by hiring 300 additional officers. Parker also wants to create safer neighborhoods by offering more resources for schools and their students.
Parker has also supported stop-and-frisk, a controversial policing tactic, as a tool for curbing citywide gun violence.
Democratic candidates are historically heavy favorites in Philadelphia’s mayoral race. The last Republican mayor served from 1941-52. Nearly 76 percent of voters in the city are Democrats, according to voter registration data from Pennsylvania’s Department of State.
Parker won the city’s mayoral primary with just more than 32 percent of the vote on May 16, defeating eight challengers for the Democratic nomination in the most expensive election in Philadelphia’s history.
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