Dems Seize Pa. Statewide Prize; New Faces On Phila. City Council

by Joe Shaheeli

JIM KENNEY celebrates mayoral victory with Firefighters Union at National Museum of American Jewish History. Photo by Bill Myers

As expected, Judge Kevin Dougherty led the Democratic sweep in this city when polls closed Tuesday, taking along with him David Wecht and Christine Donohue to the State Supreme Court, giving the Democrats a long-elusive majority on that powerful body.

When it became obvious Justice-Elect Dougherty had cleared the western part of the state, with his Philadelphia lead holding, a text message was reportedly sent out from one of labor and Ward Leader John Dougherty’s close friends to the effect “suicide watch lifted.”

In truth, the Democratic landslide that carried Jim Kenney to the Mayor’s seat and gave the Democrats a clean sweep in the Supreme Court races, can be credited to John Dougherty, Jr. He reportedly helped raise over $3 million, and possibly more, to fuel his brother’s Supreme Court candidacy and to ensure Jim Kenney’s primary- and general-election wins.

In the city, Kenney and Dougherty ran neck and neck with over 200,000 votes each. Judge Dougherty appears to have benefited from around 40,000 bullet votes.

The force of organized labor in support of Democratic candidates at all levels of government in contention was made obvious. The suburban counties, as well as Philadelphia, saw Democrats winning easily or scoring upsets where labor lent a hand.

AN IRISH TRIFECTA! Kevin Dougherty, John Dougherty Jr. and John Dougherty Sr. enjoy family’s win for a seat in Supreme Court. Photo by Martin Regusters/Leaping Lion Photography

The only other races worth watching were those engaged in by the five Republicans seeking two spots in the at-large Council race. Though targeted by some of his Republican peers, incumbent Councilman David Oh topped his competitors in his win with over 34,220 votes when 98% of the votes had been tallied. Close behind him was Al Taubenberger, with 34,064. Four years ago, Oh finished in the money just ahead of Taubenberger who didn’t.

To their credit, both made heavy use of the Philadelphia Public Record newspapers to deliver their message to committee people and ward leaders from both parties.

The aura of long-time GOP officeholder Dennis O’Brien, who believed in his mystical record of never having to campaign hard to win, evaporated at last as he finished 350 votes behind Taubenberger, who competed aggressively with O’Brien for the strong Northeast Republican electorate. He just didn’t listen to those who warned him.

As expected, the five Democratic at-large Council candidates — Helen Gym, Derek Green, Alan Domb, Blondell Reynolds Brown and Bill Greenlee — finished easily to win in that order. It is noteworthy that the top three finishers were all newcomers to City Council, finishing ahead of the two incumbents.

Next year’s City Council will have five freshmen, joining four sophomores – an unusual majority of newer Members in the 17-seat body.

Looking at the results, one can say goodbye to the progressives and other independents as groups to be sought after. Their prime candidates, Kristin Combs and Andrew Stober, ran far behind the Republicans as predicted on these pages last week.

The only new face among the row-officeholders, all of whom enjoyed tremendous majorities, was Lisa Deeley, who now joins the trio of City Commissioners, the other two incumbents being Commission Chair Anthony Clark and Republican Al Schmidt.

Register of Wills Ron Donatucci won a record tenth term, easily crushing a contender, whom we won’t bother naming, since he wanted to close the office, making it obvious he didn’t fully understand government.

FORMER DA Lynne Abraham, former Mayor Bill Green III and City Commissioner candidate Lisa Deeley catch up with good times. Photo by Maria Merlino

Sheriff Jewell Williams easily swept over his Republican opponent Christopher Sawyer, giving him another term in which to continue modernizing his operations and making them more efficient.

All Democratic District Council nominees were easily returned to office. Joining them as a replacement to retiring 9th Dist. Council Member Marian Tasco was former State Rep. Cherelle Parker, returning to the chambers in which she once served as a staffer.

Republican 10th Dist. Councilman Brian O’Neill had no opposition, but did find 12 write-ins naming others, as he pulled in 14,273 votes.

We need here to record that a highly touted Melissa Murray Bailey, the Republican contender for Mayor, won a lower percentage of the vote than her predecessor of four years ago, Karen Brown. As a rule, the Republican vote totals of 2015 do not show any of their candidates managed to win over many Democratic or independent voters.

A crucial dilemma facing Republican City Committee is the aging of its once-numerous voter base. Time is progressively taking its toll on those stalwarts; and as they dwindle with each passing election, they are not being replaced by younger voters or converts.

Relish Seen Place To Be On Elections

It was obvious which restaurant won the title of the place to meet and greet other politicos. The Famous 4th Street Deli lost that role Tuesday to Relish. Few were the political veeps to be seen at the 4th & Bainbridge location. They were wondering where everyone went.

They were at Relish, at the tail end of Ogontz Avenue, in the backyard of the northwestern bloc of wards which broke from their traditional voting patterns to endorse Jim Kenney for Mayor in the primary. There greeting them were Councilwoman Marian Tasco, State Rep. Dwight Evans (D-N. Phila.) and others from that group.

Also drawing the crowd to Relish was the much-anticipated LECET-sponsored three-hour radio election-coverage program on station WURD. It’s an indication of the vital interests Laborers District Council has in supporting Democratic candidates. Their guests at the election hour included Gov. Tom Wolf, Jim Kenney, and Judge Kevin Dougherty along with a host of other Democratic office holders.

Attorney General Kane Wins 1, Takes More Hits

IN CROWD at Kevin Dougherty victory party were retained Judge Walter Olszewski; Pat Eiding, president AFL-CIO; Judge-Elect Tracy Roman; reelected City Commissioner Anthony Clark; Joe Russo, consultant; Zac Shaffer, Esq.; and Marisa Piccarreto, legislative candidate. Photo by Joe Stivala

Attorney General Kathleen G. Kane says she is “pleased the review of emails conducted by Joseph Del Sole on behalf of the Supreme Court agrees that they are ‘detrimental to the judicial system’ and ‘could cause a reasonable person to question the impartiality of a judge and the judicial system.’

“To those who view them, they ‘offend,’” as Justice Debra Todd wrote in her concurring opinion, “by ‘trivializing physical and sexual assault; they offend ‘by the derogatory stereotyping and mocking of racial, ethnic, and religious groups, as well as gays and lesbians.’

“I agree that some of the emails raise ‘serious concern’ and I await the findings of the Judicial Conduct Board.”

Letting more scandal out of the bag was Lehigh County’s District Attorney, who emphatically stated, “I am not filing a Quo Warranto against Kathleen Kane. I was just noting that I was asked to by a high-ranking OAG official.”

Exposing the fact she does have at least one Brutus on her staff was Lehigh County John Morganelli, currently Pennsylvania’s most-senior DA. He is past president of the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association and was the Democratic candidate for Attorney General in 2008.

He exposed the fact “A few weeks ago, I was contacted by a high-ranking person in the OAG and asked if I would consider bringing a Quo Warranto action to remove AG Kathleen Kane from office. Under Pennsylvania law, generally, only a District Attorney or the Attorney General has the legal standing to bring such an action that seeks to remove a public official from office who no longer has the legal qualifications to hold such office.

REPUBLICAN candidates lined up at Cocktail Party on Southampton Road: from left, Jim Pio, Terry Tracy, Councilman David Oh, Melissa Murray Bailey, Al Taubenberger and Ross Feinberg. Photo by Bill Myers

“I found it alarming that high-ranking OAG people thought things were so bad that they openly were looking to have a coup regarding their boss. Since then, however, the situation has gotten worse. In my 24 years as District Attorney, and my 35 years as a lawyer, I have never seen anything like this. We have accusations of criminal conduct against the AG, counter-charges by the AG of criminal conduct against judges and internal revolt by top OAG officials against their boss. There have been calls for a federal investigation, and calls for independent prosecutors to try to find out what is actually going on.

“The OAG is dysfunctional at this point. It is a mess, and damage is being done to the foundation of Pennsylvania’s criminal justice system. Public confidence in the OAG as well as in our judges and courts are being eroded. I never imagined it could get so bad.

“Although Kane continues to have the right of due process relative to the charges against her, it is imperative that this matter come to a conclusion as quickly as possible.”

Seniority Cap For Judges Will Soon Move To 75

With Senate Appropriations reporting out judicial retirement-age bills, a new mandatory retirement age for Pennsylvania judges might soon be up to the state’s voters to decide. The State Senate Appropriations Committee reported to the full Senate a pair of bills that would raise the mandatory retirement age – from 70 to 75 – for Pennsylvania judges.

HB 90 would amend the state constitution to make the age change, and has already been approved by the General Assembly once, last session. Having already been approved by the House of Representatives this session, HB90 is only a final Senate approval away from being placed on the ballot for Pennsylvania voters to decide. At the earliest, the amendment could make the ballot of the primary election next spring, assuming the Senate approves the bill. HB 89 would implement the increased retirement age in statute if the constitutional amendment is approved by voters.

Supreme Court Sweep Helps Dems For A Decade

HELPING out a constituent, State Rep. John Taylor dumps documents into shredder at public event he staged at Cottman Avenue office. Photo by Bill Myers

One important outcome of Tuesday’s election is Democrats are guaranteed a dominant lock on the State Supreme Court well into the next decade. This will be crucially important in 2021, when Pennsylvania’s electoral districts will be redrawn after the 2020 Census.

Even if Republicans control the Governor’s Mansion as well as both chambers of the General Assembly, redistricting maps are vulnerable to lawsuit. This was seen in 2011, when a piano teacher challenged the legislature’s first redistricting plan for itself and was upheld by the Supreme Court, which forced a redo – even though Republicans then controlled the Supreme Court and all other power centers in Harrisburg.

With Democrats holding an effective veto power on State district lines in 2021, expect them to be redrawn in ways that assure more parity with Republicans for the following 10 years.

No Pennsylvania Society For Tardy Lawmakers?
The GOP continues budget talks, but details are “much harder to nail down.”

FROM LEFT, Katie McGinty, Dr. LaVerne Adams, State Sen. Vincent Hughes and Dr. Renee Parks enjoy Hughes’s 59th birthday party at World Café Live Friday, Oct. 30.

Following a failed veto-override attempt by the State Senate Republican Caucus, “House and Senate Republican leaders met again to continue their work on another compromise proposal that will hopefully lead to a bipartisan budget which would get Gov. Wolf’s signature,” wrote House Majority Leader Dave Reed (R-Indiana) in a memo sent Thursday to members of his caucus.

If this resolution remains elusive into December, the question popping up is which of these lawmakers would dare attend the annual Pennsylvania Society weekend in New York City? Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa (D-Allegheny), responding to a question about that subject during his appearance at Monday’s Pennsylvania Press Club luncheon, said he wouldn’t be going to NYC if a budget isn’t done.

Wolf On Budget: ‘Can’t Do This By Myself’

Gov. Tom Wolf spoke Monday on the progress of resolving Pennsylvania’s budget impasse, which entered its 125th day.

“The key is I can’t do this by myself,” he said of efforts to come up with a compromise proposal. “I’m Governor in a democracy and so it takes two sides to have a negotiation, a conversation, and I need for them to come forward with their proposals, their plans, and that’s what our conversations need to include.”

He added he has already made offers in terms of pension reform, liquor privatization, the total spend number, and on a severance tax.

“They need to come forward with their suggestions, that’s the way negotiations go,” he stated.

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