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The city’s first millennial political action committee announced Monday it has endorsed four candidates for state representative — and none of them are incumbents.
Philly Set Go, founded last year as a bipartisan PAC, aims to increase the involvement of young people in the political process both through voting and running for office.
“Our elected officials too often fail to provide competent and ethical leadership,” the PAC wrote in a release announcing its picks for state representative. “They too often exclude and trivialize millennial engagement in favor of partisanship or established interests.”
Here’s a look at the four people the PAC endorsed:
Sean Sullivan, Democratic candidate in the 175th district
Sullivan, a local lawyer, is running to take over the 175th district state representative seat that’s been held by current Rep. Mike O’Brien since 2006. The district stretches from Pennsport to Kensington, and this is Sullivan’s second go-around. He ran against O’Brien in 2014 and lost by about 500 votes.
The group said of Sullivan: “Sean’s commitment to engaging millennials and willingness to fight for ethical government will make him the ultimate advocate for his district.”
Ben Waxman, Democratic candidate in the 182nd district
The former press secretary for state Sen. Vincent Hughes, Waxman is running for state representative in the 182nd district that includes parts of Center City. He’s challenging incumbent state Rep. Brian Sims, who had announced he was running for Congress but dropped out of the race by the filing deadline.
Two other Democratic candidates, Louis Lanni and Marni Snyder, are vying for the seat.
The group said of Waxman: “Ben is committed to providing practical solutions to improve Philadelphia’s public schools. His policy proposals on the issue exemplify this pragmatic approach.”
Morgan Cephas, Democratic candidate in the 192nd district
Cephas, a West Philly native and a former staffer for Councilman Curtis Jones Jr., is currently vying for the seat vacated by state Rep. Louise Bishop.
The group said of Cephas: “Morgan is committed to bringing renewed economic development and opportunity to her West Philadelphia community. Morgan understands that politics as usual has too often leave her district behind.”
Jared Solomon, Democratic candidate in the 202nd district
Northeast Philly native and community activist Jared Solomon is — for the second time — running to unseat state Rep. Mark Cohen, a longtime Philly political figure. He lost to Cohen in 2014 by less than 200 votes, and now the race is heating up.
The group said of Solomon: “Seeing his neighborhood struggle, Jared refused to give up on his community. He founded a non-profit organization focused on addressing the quality of life issues that challenged his neighbors. Jared is eager to take this approach to Harrisburg; his district needs a champion like him.”
