Is Terry Tracy ‘New Style’ City GOP Candidate?

BY LINDSEY MURDAH/ The Terry Tracy for City Controller campaign is emblematic of the growth in the Republican Party of Philadelphia.

Recent municipal campaigns conducted by City Commissioner Deputy Chair Al Schmidt and Councilman David Oh forged paths to victory as reform candidates, opening a trail for other reform-minded leaders to run under a revitalized Republican banner.

Oh’s victory was helped by Tracy as a regional coordinator, and a few young up-and-comers have already joined the Tracy campaign.

“Good campaigns spawn good candidates,” says Tracy. “Our hope is this campaign inspires others to run, demand change, and offer solutions. By any socio-economic measure, we deserve better. That requires spirited debate and healthy competition for every elected seat in this city. That requires well-informed, well-prepared candidates. The Republican Party of Philadelphia is making huge strides.”

Voters are frustrated by what they see as a cumbersome, unresponsive government. One of the things Tracy’s campaign is most proud of is that it has spent quality time in virtually every part of the city. If there is a trend, it is that many voters feel under siege. Yet his volunteers collectively remain optimistic because “they see and believe in the possible,” as one staffer puts it.

Our system of government requires adaptation and evolution. A resurgent Republican City Committee is a direct response to the underlying demand for a new vision. The rise of the non-affiliated voter to almost 70,000 strong is a push back on the status quo. Reform-minded Democrat primary challengers are indicative of a shifting Zeitgeist. Now is the time to put those pieces together.

So Tracy’s campaign is about a new direction, a new kind of candidate for a new vision of leadership in city government. It will be a key test for the GOP’s revived leadership team this fall.

Considering Terry has spent his career running brick-and-mortar retail strategy, operations, and store experience for global brands, he starts with a mindset about what Philadelphia needs to do to be attractive to consumers from around the globe. He wants to add diversity in age and professional background that will breathe life into the city’s leadership.

The Tracy campaign seeks to elevate civic dialogue: away from the knee-jerk reaction to raise taxes and toward an honest discussion about inefficiencies in our government; from who is to blame for any given predicament to how do we effectively identify and prevent the next crises; from talking about prosperity to actively encouraging prosperity. For Tracy, leadership is about creative problem-solving, enhancing organizational synergy and executing against a vision, while maximizing every hard-earned dollar spent on the taxpayers’ behalf. This is the core responsibility, duty and measure of the City Controller.
Dani Howard, a campaign district manager says, “On the trail I am running into a vast majority of people who are just done with the city as is, Democrat, Republican or other.”

Terry Tracy for City Controller, or “TT4CC” as his team has nicknamed it, aims to innovate, educate, and elevate by tapping every tactic that is currently changing our understanding of political campaigns in the 21st century. It is the candidate’s job and a test of his or her leadership to get people excited, educated and engaged.

Many in the status quo actually count on low turnout, which is the death knell of civic engagement. That can’t be Tracy’s approach.

Tactics will range from old school to cutting edge including town-hall meetings, video and social media, technological innovations – and maybe even some surprises.