What To Know Before You Head to the Polls on May 19

On Tuesday Philadelphians will line up at the polls or return their mail-in ballots for this month’s primary election. Voters will not only decide on a pick for the bluest congressional district in the country, but also party nominees for governor, lieutenant governor, state senator, and state representative. Plus, there’s a race for state committee that you may not have known was happening. And we can’t forget ballot questions.

If you’ve mentally checked out of politics to preserve your sanity, here’s a last-minute cheat sheet.

State Committee

You haven’t seen any commercials or billboards advertising this race, which is why you might be confused by all the names appearing on your ballot.

State committeepeople endorse statewide candidates and guide statewide policy platforms for their respective parties. In the booth, the names that appear correlate to your state senate district.

Some will be names you recognize, like elected officials and ward leaders, while others are everyday neighbors heavily invested in politics. This is more of an internal party role.

Governor

Democrat Gov. Josh Shapiro and Republican State Treasurer Stacy Garrity are running unopposed in their respective races for Pennsylvania governor on Tuesday. Although the competition will really heat up as November’s general election approaches, both candidates have been fundraising hard.

Learn more about our gubernatorial candidates on this episode of City Cast Philly.

Lieutenant Governor

Three candidates are running for the nomination for the second-highest elected office in Pennsylvania. Duties of the lieutenant governor include serving as president of the Senate and chairing the Board of Pardons.

Incumbent Austin Davis, a Democrat, hopes to serve another term alongside Shapiro. Two candidates, John Venture and Jason Richey, are running for the Republican nomination. Venture describes himself as the “never socialist” candidate who is “Pro-God, Pro-Life, Pro-Constitution, Pro-Freedom.” Richey, an attorney, earned an endorsement from Garrity and promises to be a teammate on economic growth.

Read more about candidates for lieutenant governor here.

Representative for Congress

While Democratic and Republican races for the Second and Fifth Congressional Districts have no competition, there are four candidates vying for the Democratic nomination to replace retiring Congressman Dwight Evans. No Republican nominee has emerged in this deep blue congressional district, making the primary winner the Philadelphian who will likely be seated in the House of Representatives.

Ala Stanford: The Outsider

Dr. Ala Stanford, a pediatric physician, rose to national prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic. Founding the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium, Stanford was on the front lines of the pandemic working to ensure that under-resourced and marginalized communities had access to the vaccine. More recently, she founded the Ala Stanford Center for Health Equity in North Philadelphia and served as a regional director for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Key Endorsements: Retiring incumbent Congressman Dwight Evans, former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, former candidate David Oxman

Advantage: Stanford comes in free of past political baggage and has the support of 314 Action Fund, a super PAC focused on electing pro-science candidates. The PAC has invested over $2 million in TV ads and mailers in support of Stanford.

Disadvantage: A true outsider, voters might be skeptical about the transferability of Dr. Stanford’s medical brilliance to the halls of Congress.

Chris Rabb: The Progressive

State Rep. Chris Rabb has built his political career overcoming challenges from the Democratic establishment. Defeating party-backed candidates to win and hold on to his Pennsylvania House seat, Rabb has built a loyal base of voters who are fed up with business-as-usual politics and the perceived failures of the establishment Democrats in standing up to the right-wing movement.

Key Endorsements: The Philadelphia Inquirer editorial board, Working Families Party, Democratic Socialists of America, Reclaim Philadelphia, OnePA, Justice Democrats, Councilmembers Kendra Brooks and Nicolas O’Rourke, State Representative Rick Krajewski

Advantage: Unlike the most recent mayor’s race, which saw the city’s progressive vote divided, Rabb will likely enjoy the benefit of a united bloc. His decision not to seek reelection at the state level to focus on his congressional efforts appears to have paid off, quite literally. Rabb’s most recent campaign finance report saw him outraise his opponents by a nearly 2-1 margin.

Disadvantage: Even among Democrats, the 3rd Congressional District is politically diverse. Rabb will have to appeal to voters that fall closer to the center of the political spectrum than the progressive base that has repeatedly sent him back to Harrisburg.

Sharif Street: The Veteran

Son of former Mayor John Street, State Sen. Sharif Street has worked for years to establish his independent political bona fides. A Penn Law graduate, Street has risen through party leadership ranks serving most recently as chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party.

Key Endorsements: Street has garnered the most institutional support, with endorsements by Democratic City Committee, Mayor Cherelle Parker, former Gov. Ed Rendell, and the Building Trades unions. Numerous other elected officials have also offered their endorsements, including Council President Kenyatta Johnson, State Sen. Vincent Hughes, Sheriff Rochelle Bilal, former candidate and current State Rep. Morgan Cephas, and Councilmembers Cindy Bass, Jimmy Harrity, Katherine Gilmore-Richardson, Curtis Jones, Jr., Rue Landau, and Anthony Phillips.

Advantage: Beyond his instantly recognizable name, Street heads into this race with financial and field support. A non-presidential election typically means lower turnout in Philadelphia which tends to favor party-endorsed candidates.

Disadvantage: For those voters sick of business as usual in Washington, sending a career politician to represent Philadelphia might be seen as blowing on the coals of a fire they are trying to douse.

Shaun Griffith

The lone South Philadelphian in the race, former public servant Shaun Griffith is an attorney and operations manager at a Roxborough-based tax services firm. His policy priorities include a moratorium on data centers, a $15 minimum wage, and the reintroduction and passage of the Green New Deal.

Key Endorsements: N/A

Advantage: With the rest of the candidates hailing from the northern part of the congressional district, Griffith could appeal to voters who want someone from closer to home.

Disadvantage: With no name recognition, endorsements, or resources, Griffith faces an uphill battle.

State Representatives

Most candidates in the primary are running unopposed. Here are the competitive races on the Democratic side:

State Senators

Now over in the state senate, where senators serve four-year terms, there are two competitive Democratic races against a couple of sitting senators:

Ballot Questions

All registered Philadelphia voters are allowed to vote on referenda, regardless of party affiliation. There are two ballot measures to change the city’s Home Rule Charter.

The city is asking voters whether to create a Philadelphia Retirement Savings Board and whether to make the Office of Youth Ombudsperson a permanent office. Read a full explanation of both measures here.

🗳️Find a sample of your ballot here.

🎧Listen to today’s episode to learn what to know before you vote.

Lauren Vidas and Siani Colón contributed to this article.