CITY HALL SAM: Who Might Replace Chaka Fattah?

The blood is apparently in the water for CONGRESSMAN CHAKA FATTAH. Recent publicity and rumors assert that federal criminal action may be pending. Whether that’s true or not, two names have emerged to potentially succeed Fattah in Congress.

One is MAYOR MICHAEL NUTTER, who will soon be looking for a new job. The other is prominent DISTRICT ATTORNEY SETH WILLIAMS. Williams is an interesting persona because he has been so active and high profile as the city’s top prosecutor. Some have speculated he would run for state Attorney General against KATHLEEN KANE, but now there is speculation he’d like to go to Congress. He would be a very attractive candidate who appeals to a broad range of voters.

The same could be said about Nutter, but his detractors say he hasn’t done anything as Mayor that would lead folks to support him. But other politicians who have done nothing for anybody in one job have often been supported for another job – sometimes just to get rid of them in their current job.

A new name is emerging for the Mayor’s race. Former DISTRICT ATTORNEY LYNNE ABRAHAM has told her closest advisers that she will seek the position. Some believe Abraham’s time in Philadelphia politics has come and gone. But they said that about her and others in the past. Abraham still has a very strong base of supporters and could capture the potentially minute block necessary to win in a crowded field.

The most recent poll of the gubernatorial race has TOM WOLF winning by 25 points. But Democrats have blown elections with similar leads in the past. MARK SINGEL was well on his way to becoming Governor of Pennsylvania against an obscure Congressman from Erie named TOM RIDGE. And unforeseen events involving rape and murder by a former Pennsylvania parolee resulted in a 20-point flip in just under three weeks. Ridge went on to become Governor by a comfortable margin and later became the Secretary of the Homeland Security Dept. So Tom Wolf and MIKE STACK will have to keep their feet on the pedal if they are to make history by throwing out incumbents TOM CORBETT and JIM CAWLEY for the first time in Pennsylvania history.

The most interesting aspect of the campaign has been that it has continued on the airwaves during the summer. Corbett spent millions trying to take the luster off of Wolf. Wolf smartly went on television and responded to the negative advertising with great effect.

The campaigns have taken to another kind of air as well. Throughout the summer, planes being flown over the shore turned out to be in support of a New Jersey candidate named Hughes running for Congress in the Garden State. Nonetheless the appearance of the banner set off several hours of intense speculation, texting and tweeting.

Speaking of Hugheses, VINCE HUGHES, the State Senator, is working hard with the potential to become majority leader if the Democrats gain control in the Senate. One of their best hopes is labor leader JOHN KANE, who is running for an open seat in Delaware Co.