Procrastinator’s Guide to the 2025 primary election in Philly

The marquee race in this year s primary electoral contest is the contest between District Attorney Larry Krasner who is seeking a third term in office and a challenger former Municipal Court judge Patrick Dugan Since there s no Republican running for DA whoever gets the majority votes in the Democratic primary will likely win the November general poll as well and serve for the next four years Also on the ballot are a number of major judicial positions people whose names you might never have heard but who stand to gain serious sway in the city and state justice systems as well as candidates for City Controller and three ballot questions Additionally residents in countless districts can vote for the judges of elections and inspectors who run local polling places You can find their names by looking up the sample ballot for your address or by checking the full list posted by the City Commissioners office Note that Philly holds closed primaries meaning you can only cast votes for candidates within your party This year s judge candidates for Philadelphia s local courts are all Democrats but Republicans are running in a few of the state court and other races The voter registration deadline for the primary has already passed The deadline to apply for a mail or absentee ballot is May Mail ballots must be received by the Board of Elections by p m on Primary Day May so if you re voting by mail be sure to send yours in at least several days before that date For more info on voter registration and how to vote by mail check out our guide from last fall s electoral process or visit the City Commissioners website Feeling overwhelmed by all those candidates for judge The good news is that Billy Penn s Procrastinator s Guide is here to help Take a look through this article then bookmark it for reference as you fill out your mail ballot or head to the polls Have any questions about Balloting Day Let us know at tips billypenn com Jump to a section District Attorney City Controller Superior Court Commonwealth Court Court of Common Pleas Municipal Court Ballot questions District Attorney The district attorney is the city s top prosecutor tasked with probing and charging thousands of criminal cases every year Check out our full article on the candidates Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner left and retired Municipal Court judge Pat Dugan Matt Rourke AP Kimberly Paynter WHYY Democrats Patrick Dugan Dugan is an Army veteran who was appointed a Municipal Court judge in served as President Judge for five years and retired last year He ran for Superior Court in coming in third in the Democratic primary He touts his work setting up Veterans Court which aims to move defendants who are veterans into drug recovery and diversion programs helping launch the city s Eviction Diversion Project and leading the court through the pandemic in part by holding hearings in jails to overcome judicial backlogs Dugan argues that Krasner s lenient policies toward accused criminals contributed to historic spikes in murders and other crime during the pandemic and continuing high rates of retail theft He also criticizes the DA for hiring inexperienced out-of-state law school graduates as assistant DAs and says Krasner s poor relationship with other city bureaucrats hampers cooperation on anti-crime efforts Larry Krasner incumbent Krasner was elected in and is seeking a third term A longtime civil rights attorney before he took office he has focused on reducing prosecution of various minor offenses reducing incarceration supporting group groups that do violence prevention work exonerating wrongfully convicted people and prosecuting police and former prosecutors for alleged misconduct The DA highlights fresh drops in the majority categories of crime including the lowest homicide rate in decades He frequently cites his opposition to Trump administration policies and says he could potentially prosecute immigration personnel who violate the law as well as white collar crimes being ignored by the U S Department of Justice In response to Dugan s criticism he says reducing the jail population benefits offenders and the city and does not lead to more crime Last year he ended a agenda of not prosecuting smaller retail thefts and says retail theft rates have dropped slightly in the past year He defends his attorney recruitment and training efforts and says he has good relationships with the mayor and police commissioner City Controller The city controller is an elected position tasked with overseeing the city s operations and auditing them when they seem fishy This official is elected to a -year term and is not subject to term limits The candidates in the primary for City Controller are the Democrat incumbent Christy Brady left and Republican Ari Patrinos Courtesy of campaigns Democrat Christy Brady incumbent Brady was appointed acting controller in November and won a full term a year later A certified inhabitants accountant she previously held various positions in the controller s office for over years She cites accomplishments including reviewing delays in the demolition of dangerous properties missteps in gun violence prevention funding distribution of opioid settlement funds and the Rebuild campaign Her campaign priorities include analyzing code violations the use of unlicensed construction workers and other illegal expansion practices and auditing the Office of Property Assessment and the city s contracting process She is endorsed by the city Democratic Party Her campaign website is here Republican Ari Patrinos Patrinos is a city native who worked as a stockbroker in New York before returning to Philly to teach mathematics and history in charter and populace schools He vows to push for responsible budgeting and transparent oversight in the schools lower taxes more transparency in regime pro-business policies and less bureaucratic red tape He is endorsed by the Philadelphia Republican Party His campaign website is here Judge of the Superior Court The Superior Court hears appeals in criminal and civil cases from the Courts of Common Pleas and a few cases involving children and families The judges are chosen in statewide elections and serve -year terms Vote for one From left Superior Court judge candidates Brandon Neuman Maria Battista and Anne Marie Wheatcraft Courtesy of campaigns Democrat Brandon Neuman Neuman is a former four-term state House representative from the Pittsburgh area who serves as a judge in the Washington County Court of Common Pleas He was previously a trial lawyer handling complex civil litigation and nursing home neglect cases and he ran for lieutenant governor in He s been endorsed by the state Democratic Party the Pennsylvania State Development Association and several other labor unions and elected leaders He is highly recommended by the Pennsylvania Bar Association Republican Maria Battista Battista is an attorney in private practice focusing on leadership contracting She previously worked for the U S Navy the Defense Logistics Agency the Pa departments of Healthcare and State and as a county prosecutor In addition to her law degree she has a PhD in training from the University of Pittsburgh She ran for Superior Court before in Her endorsements include the state Fraternal Order of Police the state Chamber of Commerce PAC and the PA Sheriff s Association PAC according to her Facebook page She declined to participate in the Pennsylvania Bar Association recommendation process Anne Marie Wheatcraft Wheatcraft has served as a judge in the Court of Common Pleas in Chester County for years Before becoming a judge she was an assistant district attorney for the county She is a board member for several nonprofits and works to educate newly elected judges She was endorsed by the state Republican Party Wheatcraft is highly recommended by the Pennsylvania Bar Association which cited her work progressing healing courts in Chester County and working to introduce comfort dogs in the courtroom Judge of the Commonwealth Court The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania is one of the state s two appellate courts Vote for one candidate From left Commonwealth Court judge candidates Stella Tsai Joshua Prince and Matthew Wolford Courtesy of campaigns Democrat Stella Tsai Tsai has been a judge in Philadelphia s Court of Common Pleas since She has experience in the civil and criminal trial courts Orphans Court Family Court and other divisions She was previously a litigator representing a variety of clients She is endorsed by the Pa Democratic State Committee and is highly recommended by the Philadelphia and Pennsylvania bar associations Republicans Josh Prince Prince is an attorney from Berks County who focuses on civil liberties cases especially Second Amendment issues but also freedom of speech and religion equal protection and reasonable suspicion During the pandemic he sued the state over mandated closures of law firms and firearms dealers and represented various clients opposing pandemic-related restrictions He did not participate in the Pennsylvania Bar Association recommendation process Matt Wolford Wolford runs a solo law practice in Erie representing a variety of clients and specializing in environmental law He s also worked for the state Department of Setting Protection as a deputy attorney general in charge of an environmental crimes field office and as a special prosecutor for the state AG and the U S Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania He is endorsed by the state GOP and highly recommended by the Pennsylvania Bar Association Judge of the Court of Common Pleas This is Philly s general trial court The judges have original jurisdiction over majority of civil cases Vote for up to nine candidates Democrats Qawi Abdul-Rahman A Philadelphia native Abdul-Rahman is a criminal defense attorney who was previously a citizens defender in Dade County Florida He is also running for judge of the Municipal Court He previously ran for judge in the Court of Common Pleas in He s the father of Muhyyee-Ud-din Abdul-Rahman who was charged in for seeking to make bombs for terrorist groups Qawi Abdul-Rahman is not recommended by the Philadelphia Bar Association Will Braverman An attorney focusing on employee-side labor law child welfare and mental physical condition court Braverman previously worked as a law clerk in the Court of Common Pleas a deputy city solicitor a DJ and a recording artist He is endorsed by the city Democratic Party and recommended by the Philadelphia Bar Association Sherrie Cohen Cohen is a tenants rights lawyer who previously ran for City Council She has advocated for affordable housing construction LGBTQ rights keeping city libraries open and ending cash bail among other causes She is also running for judge in Municipal Court She is endorsed by the Working Families Party and District Attorney Larry Krasner among others She did not receive a recommendation from the Philadelphia Bar Association Irinia Ehrlich Ehrlich is a former Philadelphia assistant district attorney who is in private practice focusing on criminal defense immigration personal injury and guardianships During her time with the DA s office she was designated as a Special Assistant U S Attorney She is originally from Ukraine and immigrated to the U S in She is endorsed by the Philadelphia Democratic Party and the Working Families Party and is recommended by the Philadelphia Bar Association Larry Farnese Farnese served three terms as a state senator representing parts of South Philadelphia and the River Wards and has worked as an attorney in private practice In he was acquitted on a charge of bribing a city Democratic Party official He is endorsed by the city Democratic Party and recommended by the Philadelphia Bar Association Kia Ghee Ghee is the former executive director of the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations the city s civil rights agency and before that was a lawyer in the city s Law Department She previously worked for nonprofits managing Head Start programs and organizing healthcare and job fairs She is endorsed by the city Democratic Party and recommended by the Philadelphia Bar Association Taniesha Henry Henry is an attorney who has worked as a hearing officer and law clerk in Family Court a Court of Common Pleas arbitrator and an assistant city solicitor for the city s Department of Human Services among other positions She is not recommended by the Philadelphia Bar Association Sarah Jones Jones is an attorney in private practice She focuses primarily on family law matters including protection from abuse custody child sponsorship divorce and grandparents rights cases Jones is endorsed by the city Democratic Party and recommended by the Philadelphia Bar Association Leon A King II King is an attorney who has served as Philadelphia s prison commissioner a deputy city solicitor a staffer for former City Councilmember Frank Rizzo and a deputy commissioner for Maryland s prison system He is endorsed by the city Democratic Party and recommended by the Philadelphia Bar Association Brian Kisielewski Kisielewski manages pro bono volunteer initiatives for the Faegre Drinker law firm and previously founded the First Judicial District s Elder Justice Civil Supply Center He was also a Common Pleas law clerk and a post-conviction and habeas corpus criminal appeals attorney He is endorsed by the city Democratic Party and recommended by the Philadelphia Bar Association Anthony Stefanski Stefanski is an attorney who has worked for the District Attorney s Office and private law firms and for the past three years has represented the Democratic City Committee according to a campaign video Stefanski is endorsed by the Philadelphia Democratic Party and recommended by the Philadelphia Bar Association Deborah Watson-Stokes Watson-Stokes is a longtime assistant district attorney in the DA s office including years in the homicide unit She was previously a society school professor and adjunct law professor She is endorsed by the Philadelphia Democratic Party and recommended by the Philadelphia Bar Association Candidate Mike Huff will also appear on the ballot for Court of Common Pleas and Municipal Court but he was disqualified from running and votes for him will not be counted Judge of the Municipal Court This is a trial court divided into three divisions criminal civil and traffic The judges hear trials for particular misdemeanors summary offenses and felonies Vote for up to three candidates Democrats Qawi Abdul-Rahman He is also running for judge of the Court of Common Pleas See his profile above Sherrie Cohen She is also running for judge of the Court of Common Pleas See her profile above Amanda Davidson Davidson has practiced law for three decades with cases spanning family law business disputes and criminal matters She represents clients who have experienced workplace injuries car accidents and slip-and-falls Davidson is endorsed by the Democratic City Committee and Working Families Party and recommended by the Philadelphia Bar Association Shawn Page Page is a criminal defense attorney who says he is dedicated to reducing gun violence criminal justice overhaul and considering childhood trauma in sentencing In he received a citizens reprimand from the state Supreme Court s disciplinary board for mishandling a client s scenario and he s been subject to liens for about in unpaid federal income taxes and penalties the Inquirer communicated He is endorsed by the Democratic City Committee and not recommended by the Philadelphia Bar Association Cortez Patton Patton is chief counsel to state Senator Anthony Williams He has worked to transformation the criminal justice system in Pennsylvania with a focus on probation adjustment reentry patronage and the sealing of nonviolent criminal records and more He has endorsements from the Democratic City Committee and the Working Families Party The Philadelphia Bar Association did not recommend Patton Ballot questions Changes to the Home Rule Charter which serves like a constitution for the city must be approved by voters Voters of any party can vote on them For more information on the questions check out our explainer article Marty Bergman and Cindy Hoffman voted at the Museum of the American Revolution in Old City during the April primary Emma Lee WHYY Question Should the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to create the Office of Homeless Services Ombudsperson to assist residents experiencing homelessness help provide fair access to essential materials improve quality of life in the shelter system investigate client complaints and provide oversight and recommendations to the City s providers of homeless services The new office would advocate for people experiencing homelessness and their families investigate client grievances and provide oversight and recommendation to the Managing Director s office according to Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson who sponsored a bill putting the measure on the ballot Question Should the Home Rule Charter be amended to increase the minimum amount that must be appropriated for spending on Housing Trust Fund purposes in the City s operating budget each year This measure would require the city to put payments from a developer incentive undertaking which are meant to encouragement affordable housing into its Housing Trust Fund The city has been putting the money into the General Fund instead and spending it on other programs The question was proposed by Councilmember Jamie Gauthier The Parker administration opposes the change saying it would bind the hands of mayors during budget negotiations Question Shall The Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to provide for the creation of an independent Philadelphia Prison District Oversight Board and Office of Prison Oversight and to further authorize City Council to determine the composition powers and duties of the Board and Office The measure aims to improve poor conditions at the city s four correctional facilities The Prison Oversight office would be authorized to conduct investigations and have access to the prisons and their databases and documents while the nine-member Oversight Board would meet at least monthly and could recommend investigations and other actions by the new office The post Procrastinator s Guide to the primary referendum in Philly appeared first on Billy Penn at WHYY