Matthew Darragh Aims To Knock Out Young Foes

by Tony West

At age 30, 58^th Ward Democratic Committeeman Matthew Darragh considers himself the grand old man of the 170^th Legislative Dist. in Far Northeast Philadelphia.

That seat is currently held by freshman State Rep. Martina White (R-Northeast), who won it in a fiercely contested special election last year. She is now 27.

Matthew Darragh … young blood in the Northeast.

To get to White, though, Darragh must first best 25-year-old Fran Nelms, a staffer for Congressman Brendan Boyle (D-Phila.), in the April primary.

Look for young legs to wear off a lot of shoe leather, then, in leafy Somerton and surrounding communities for the next three months.

A graduate of Archbishop Ryan, Temple University (in political science) and Widener School of Law, Darragh has been involved in politics since high school. He began doing street work for 58^th Ward Leader (then-State Sen.) Mike Stack and 66B Ward Leader Mike McAleer. For eight years he has worked with 66A Ward Leader Shawn Dillon in the Auditor General’s Bureau of Liquor Audits.

Although no endorsements have been made, Darragh would seem a likely candidate for those Northeast ward leaders who are restive at the thought of a rising Boyle dynasty. Boyle’s brother State Rep. Kevin Boyle (D-Northeast) has made it plain he’d like the seat now held by State Sen. John Sabatina, Jr.

But Darragh’s central concern is his native community. His parents moved to the Northeast in 1955; he owns their house and is committed to a life there.

“The Northeast is at a crossroads,” Darragh said. Some people are moving into the city for arts or nightlife, others to the suburbs for schools. When you see an exodus like that, you wonder what the future holds.

“A rising crime rate and public safety are on people’s minds,” he continued. “The best way to allay those fears is to improve the schools and help with jobs.”

It’s a challenge he charges White is not up to.

“I thought she would be a representative in the mold of State Rep. John Taylor (R-Northeast). But she has started coming out against Gov. Tom Wolf’s budget package, a lot more conservative,” said Darragh. “It seems like she’s representing a dist in Central Pennsylvania, not one that’s 50% Democratic.”

The key State issue to Darragh is school funding, making sure that Philadelphia gets its fair share, and passing a funding formula to ensure that.

Darragh said he doesn’t take a race against the Boyles lightly. They run excellent field operations, he noted. But he believes his longstanding network of personal and community ties are helping him put together a strong team.

“Win or lose, I plan to be a part of civic life in the Northeast for a long time to come,” he said.

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