Cherelle Parker won Philadelphia’s mayoral primary Tuesday night with 32.9 percent of the vote, outlasting eight challengers on the ballot for the city’s Democratic nomination, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
Parker is a former City Council majority leader and a former state representative in Northwest Philadelphia. She and Amen Brown were the only candidates with prior experience in Harrisburg.
Parker will face David Oh, the sole Republican mayoral candidate, on Nov. 7 for the municipal general election.
In March 2022, Parker introduced a neighborhood safety and community policing plan, which aims to address citywide police shortages by hiring 300 additional officers. Parker has also supported stop-and-frisk, a controversial policing tactic, as a tool for curbing citywide gun violence.
She also campaigned on protecting middle-class neighborhoods, which involves providing more resources for students, like after-school programs, in an effort to make streets safer.
The Democratic primary race had tightened to a virtual four-way tie between Parker, Rebecca Rhynhart, Allan Domb and Helen Gym, who had a slight lead, according to a May 12 survey from Emerson College Polling Philadelphia.
Parker’s victory is a culmination of a race that has reached more than $31 million in total fundraising, making it the most expensive election in city history, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
On April 11, Democratic candidates faced off at the Temple Performing Arts Center in a debate to discuss issues like gun violence, quality of life and the Chinatown arena proposal.
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