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The upcoming 2026 primary election on May 19 would have likely been a pretty quiet affair — if not for Congressman Dwight Evans’ decision not to run for reelection.
Instead, the rare opportunity to represent the 3rd Congressional District has sparked a lively battle among the three top Democratic contenders — state Rep. Chris Rabb, Dr. Ala Stanford, and state Sen. Sharif Street — and more than $5 million in spending so far by the candidates and outside groups.
With no Republicans in the race, whoever wins the nomination will likely triumph in the general election in November and potentially hold the seat for many years.
Many other important races are on the ballot, including nomination contests for Rabb’s current seat and a few other legislative spots. However, the majority of this year’s candidates are unopposed in the primary, and most have no challenger from the other party.
Our guide briefly profiles those running in contested races, and lists all the other candidates.
Those include the gubernatorial contest, where Democrat Gov. Josh Shapiro and his Republican challenger, State Treasurer Stacy Garrity, are seeking their parties’ nominations, as well as the city’s other congressional seats, half of the State Senate and the entire Pennsylvania House of Representatives.
Philadelphia voters will also see two ballot questions and can vote for their party committee members. You can get a preview 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 your party’s candidates. Everyone can vote on the ballot questions, including unaffiliated voters.
The voter registration deadline for the primary has already passed. The deadline to apply for a mail or absentee ballot is May 12. Mail ballots must be received by the Board of Elections by 8 p.m. on Primary Day, May 19 — 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 or visit the City Commissioners’ website.
Still trying to figure out who to vote for? 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 questions that aren’t answered here? Let us know at tips@billypenn.com.
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Ballot questions
Ballot Question 1: Retirement Savings Board
“Shall the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to provide for the creation of the Philadelphia Retirement Savings Board to oversee a defined contribution retirement program for the benefit of eligible private-sector workers, and to authorize City Council to determine the composition, powers and duties of the board?”
The measure would establish a new, permanent city board in the Charter to create and run the proposed Philly Saves program, an optional retirement savings program.
Anybody working in the city whose employer does not offer a retirement savings plan would automatically be enrolled, with an option to opt out. The program would put 3% to 6% of their paycheck into a city-sponsored individual retirement account, or IRA, and participants could adjust their contribution levels. Only the worker — and not the city or the employer — would contribute to accounts.
Seventeen states including New Jersey have similar programs, but Philly would be the first U.S. city to offer its own plan. Visit this article for more on the ballot question.
Ballot Question 2: Office of the Youth Ombudsperson
“Shall the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to provide for the creation of the Office of the Youth Ombudsperson to improve the safety and quality of services for youth placed in juvenile justice, child welfare, and behavioral health residential care facilities, and to authorize City Council to determine additional powers and duties of the Youth Ombudsperson as needed to carry out this mission?”
Following a series of reports of abuses at group homes and other residential youth treatment facilities, Mayor Jim Kenney set up the Office of the Youth Ombudsperson in 2022 to monitor the safety and quality of those services.
The question would make the office permanent, so no future mayor could eliminate it. It would let City Council optionally grant the office authority to conduct independent investigations, which advocates have called for. See here for more details.
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U.S. House
Each of Philadelphia’s congressional seats will be contested in the November election, but the only contested primary is for the 3rd District’s Democratic nomination. The winners in November will serve two-year terms representing Philly in D.C.
2nd District
Brendan Boyle (Democrat, incumbent)
Boyle served in the Pa. House for six years and was elected to Congress in 2014. He’s the ranking member of the House Budget Committee and a vocal critic of Trump administration cuts to violence prevention, housing, and healthcare programs. He recently voted to block further military action in Iran.
He touts his work to secure federal transit funding for the Philadelphia region ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and introduced legislation to restore slavery-related displays at the President’s House site at Independence Historical Park. He has criticized U.S. Sen. John Fetterman and is often mentioned as a possible Senate candidate in 2028.
Jessica Arriaga (Republican)
Arriaga is a hospital operating room technician who has worked to help families access healthcare in North Philadelphia and served as a ward leader. Her priorities include more funding for law enforcement to target repeat violent offenders, and to expand crime prevention and addiction treatment programs.
She supports cutting business regulations and expanding job training and career and technical education programs, as well as more transparency around government spending and better access to affordable healthcare and childcare.
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3rd District
For in-depth profiles of the candidates and the issues in the race, check out this WHYY News article.
Chris Rabb (Democrat)
Previously a U.S. Senate aide, researcher, and educator, Rabb has served in the Pa. House since 2017. He’s an outspoken progressive and advocate for racial justice, economic equity, public education and government reform. He’s introduced legislation on reparations, wealth inequality, environmental justice, full funding of public schools and expanding access to affordable housing.
His platform includes guaranteed housing, “Medicare for All,” universal basic income, livable wages and publicly owned grocery stores. He criticizes Israel’s war in Gaza, calling it “genocide” and demanding an end to U.S. military aid to Israel. Rabb has been endorsed by U.S. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Summer Lee, and by the Working Families Party, the Philadelphia Democratic Socialists of America and the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Sharif Street (Democrat)
The son of former Philadelphia Mayor John F. Street and former chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, Street was elected to the state Senate in 2016. His focus areas include criminal justice reform, voting rights and health care access. He’s sought to repeal the state death penalty, sued the Trump administration to protect access to mail voting, and is a leader of the effort to legalize marijuana in Pennsylvania.
In debates, Street argues his success in passing bipartisan legislation in the Republican-led state Senate means he’ll be effective in Washington, D.C. He’s often described as the establishment candidate, with endorsements from the Philadelphia Democratic Party, Mayor Cherelle Parker, the city’s Building and Construction Trades Council, and other labor unions.
Ala Stanford (Democrat)
Stanford is a pediatric surgeon, healthcare executive and former official in the Biden’s administration’s Department of Health and Human Services. She gained national recognition in 2020 for bringing mobile COVID testing and vaccination to underserved communities in Philadelphia and the region. A first-time candidate for political office, she was recruited and endorsed by outgoing 3rd District Congressman Evans.
Her platform focuses on expanding affordable healthcare, addressing racial disparities in care, preventing gun violence, protecting reproductive rights, and investing in public education and neighborhood development. On Israel, she has condemned the deaths of children in Gaza, and been criticized for getting significant financial support from 314 Action Fund, a group that received funding from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). She’s been endorsed by U.S. Reps. Madeleine Dean and Chrissy Houlahan and EMILYs List.
Shaun Griffith (Democrat)
Griffith is a tax attorney who runs an accounting firm in Roxborough and previously worked for the state Department of Labor and Industry. Originally from Western Pennsylvania, he moved to Philadelphia in 2009. His platform emphasizes universal health care, fair wages, civil liberties and environmental protections.
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5th District
Mary Gay Scanlon (Democrat, incumbent)
Scanlon is a public interest lawyer who has served in Congress since 2018. Her priorities include voting rights, access to justice, education, supporting economic growth for her region, common sense gun safety, and ending hunger.
Nick Manganaro (Republican)
Manganaro, of Haverford, worked for financial firms like J.P. Morgan Chase and Merrill Lynch and is now retired, Broad + Liberty reported. He says he’s running to cut government spending, faults Scanlon for opposing ICE enforcement, supports legal immigration, opposes the war with Iran, and believes there should be more fracking and oil and coal extraction, as long as “there’s not a lot of seeping into the water system.”
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Pa. Governor
Josh Shapiro (Democrat, incumbent)
Shapiro, the former state Attorney General, was elected governor in 2022 and is seeking a second term. He touts his work to cut taxes, create jobs, increase spending on education and law enforcement, open up more state positions to applicants without college degrees, and end a ban on Sunday hunting, among other efforts. He’s widely expected to run for president in 2028.
Stacy Garrity (Republican)
Garrity was elected to a partial term as State Treasurer in 2020 and a full term two years later. She says she’s returned millions of dollars owed back to taxpayers and boosted programs to help residents save for college and disability expenses. She’s a close ally of President Trump, criticized Shapiro over his handling of sexual harassment claims against a former aide, and argues the governor will be distracted by his likely presidential bid.
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Pa. Lieutenant Governor
The lieutenant governor runs separately from the governor. The job includes presiding over the Pa. Senate and chairing the Board of Pardons.
Austin Davis (Democrat, incumbent)
Davis grew up in Western Pennsylvania, served two terms as a state representative, and was elected Lieutenant Governor in 2022. He has been Gov. Josh Shapiro’s running mate, although they run independently. He has advocated for funding for programs including violence prevention grants, security for places of worship, county 911 services, and safe after-school programs. He’s also worked to modernize and expand the state pardon process.
John Ventre (Republican)
Ventre is a retired United Postal Service security director and executive from Westmoreland County near Pittsburgh, the Bucks County Beacon reported. He’s written several books on UFO research and hosts an online video series on Ufology. He describes himself as a “strong ally” of the American First movement and would mandate in-person voting with strict voter ID requirements; eliminate “wasteful socialist spending”; eliminate the state fuel tax and freeze property taxes for seniors and veterans; allow state funding of private and religious schools; and support unrestricted fossil fuel production and removal of environmental regulations.
Jason Richey (Republican)
Richey is a litigator in Pittsburgh who has represented manufacturing, construction and energy companies, including cases to uncover government corruption and procurement irregularities, according to his website. He says he will work with Stacy Garrity to protect taxpayers from reckless spending and higher taxes; support law enforcement, job creators and economic growth; defend constitutional rights and liberties; ensure state government is transparent and works “for the people, not the special interests”; and “harness our God-given natural resources and become a global leader in energy production.”
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Pennsylvania Senate
It’s election year for 3 of the 7 Pa. Senate districts that cover Philly. Two of them have multiple contenders for the Democratic nomination, and one has a Republican on the ballot. The winners in November will serve a 4-year term in the General Assembly.
4th District
Art Haywood (Democrat, incumbent)
Haywood has served in the Pa. Senate since 2015. He has focused on creating more affordable housing, reducing poverty, combating racism, restricting gun sales, increasing the minimum wage and addressing climate change, and he leads weekly vigils protesting ICE raids.
Mike Cogbill (Democrat)
Cogbill has been an organizer for his aunt, Councilmember Cindy Bass, and worked for the AFL-CIO, the state Democratic Party, Common Cause and other advocacy organizations. He ran for U.S. Congress in 2022. He’s calling for higher corporate taxes, taxing recreational marijuana, addressing blighted properties, improving voting rights protections and instituting “common-sense gun reforms”
Todd Johnson (Republican)
Johnson is pastor at First Immanuel Baptist Church in North Philadelphia. On his website he advocates for public funding of private school tuition, more oil production to reduce gas prices, and an end to “lax and harmful abortion policies,” and he condemns “taxes, government spending, and heavy-handed regulations.”
8th District
Anthony H. Williams (Democrat, incumbent)
Williams is a former Pa. House member who succeeded his father, Hardy Williams, in the state Senate in 1998. He’s also run for mayor and governor. He’s a vocal charter school and school choice advocate, helped create the city’s Illegal Gun Task Force, sponsored a bill requiring applicants for school jobs to disclose sexual abuse allegations, developed a diversity apprenticeship program and worked to help Philadelphia fix its property tax system.
David Goldsmith Jr. (Democrat)
Goldsmith is a former UPS driver, real estate agent, mentor for young athletes, and ambassador for Cobbs Creek Park. He favors expanding property tax freezes to prevent gentrification and displacement; revitalizing parks and recreation centers; creating pathways to trade jobs and using the centers for career development; and improving public safety for senior citizens.
The uncontested race:
- 2nd District – Christine Tartaglione (Democrat, incumbent)
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Pa. House
All Pa. House of Representatives seats are up for election every two years. Uncontested races are listed at the end of this section.
170th District
Rob Gurtcheff (Democrat)
Gurtcheff is a fraud investigator for a health insurer and a former Army counterintelligence agent. His priorities include “keeping Northeast Philadelphia safe and the justice system fair,” properly funding public schools and SEPTA, increasing the minimum wage, maintaining election integrity, improving roads to “lighten traffic,” and having PTSD listed as a recognized injury for first responders.
Martina White (Republican, incumbent)
White, a financial advisor and SEPTA board member, was elected to the Pa. House in 2015 and is one of Philadelphia’s two Republican state legislators. She’s sought to crack down on the city for its “sanctuary status,” supports school choice, and touts her work to reduce drug costs, support paid family leave, and hike educational funding. She advocates for building natural gas-fired power plants and criticized the RGGI greenhouse-gas reduction program.
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173rd District
Pat Gallagher (Democrat, incumbent)
Elected in 2022, Gallagher is a former chief of staff for former Pa. House rep (and now City Council member) Mike Driscoll. He cites his support for organized labor and says he advocates for higher wages, safe working conditions, affordable health care, and holding “public safety as a top priority.”
Bill Griffin (Republican)
Griffin is a retired teacher and principal at public schools in Northeast Philadelphia. He says he’s running because he believes in “safe neighborhoods, strong schools with real choice, affordability for working families and seniors, affordable health care, and protecting freedom and property rights.”
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177th District
Joe Hohenstein (Democrat, incumbent)
Hohenstein is an immigration lawyer who was elected to the Pa. House in 2018. A progressive Democrat, his top issues include fair funding for the city’s schools, addressing the opioid epidemic, and boosting corporate tax rates. In recent years he’s criticized ICE’s crackdown on undocumented immigrants, opposed efforts to build a liquid natural gas terminal in Philadelphia, and proposed tighter regulation of homebuilders to protect residents.
Robyn Bird (Republican)
Bird is the public relations and governmental affairs director for the Local 22 firefighters union and previously worked briefly for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. She told the Northeast Times she will focus on public safety and lower taxes, and criticized Hohenstein for “prioritizing illegal immigrants,” for example when he attended a rally for the city’s proposed ICE Out legislative package.
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185th District
Regina Young (Democrat, incumbent)
Young is a Connecticut native who was a community schools coordinator in Philadelphia before being elected in 2020. She has recently focused on opposing electricity rate hikes, fighting human trafficking, helping seniors afford medication, advocating for publicly funded colleges, increasing penalties for child labor law violations, and supporting flood mitigation projects in Eastwick and other neighborhoods.
Joe Sackor (Democrat)
Sackor came to the U.S. in 1999 as a refugee from Liberia, after working for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. He’s a systems administrator at CHOP. Sackor previously ran for the 185th seat in 2024. He criticizes harsh tactics by federal ICE agents, and prioritizes cutting red tape for small and minority-owned businesses, modernizing education to prepare students for today’s economy and promoting public safety.
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192nd District
Morgan Cephas (Democrat, incumbent)
Cephas was elected to the Pa. House in 2016. She ran for the 3rd District congressional seat this year but dropped out in March. She cites accomplishments including creating a basic income pilot for pregnant moms, securing funding for construction of a new elementary school, supporting SEPTA, helping boost the minimum wage in the city and banning ghost guns.
D’Angelo Virgo (Democrat)
Virgo has worked as a teacher and coach, a political strategist for progressive groups, and a manager for political campaigns. His priorities include reforming juvenile justice programs to focus on rehabilitation, protecting seniors from neglect and expanding their healthcare access, investing in violence prevention programs, and bringing more resources to the public schools.
Tiffany Vann Brown (Republican)
Brown is a West Philadelphia native who has a media company “dedicated to telling the stories that politicians ignore” and a youth mentoring program. She led grassroots teams in Philly for Americans for Prosperity, the conservative advocacy group funded by the Koch brothers. Her core issues are fighting for “fair wages” and paid family leave, investing in public schools, and lowering property taxes to prevent displacement. She uses Tiffany Vann in her campaign material, but will appear on ballots as Tiffany Vann Brown.
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195th District
Kenneth Walker Jr. (Democrat)
Walker is a pastor who has worked as a teacher, a homelessness services case manager, a residential advisor at Girard College, and an assistant program manager at the city’s Police Assisted Diversion program, according to his website. His priorities include greater school funding, expanded vocational education, more free youth programs, funding for small, community-based nonprofits, and accountability in state government. He’s endorsed by the Guardian Civic League representing Black police officers and Teamsters Local 502 CASA.
Keith Harris (Democrat, incumbent)
Harris is a landlord, longtime community activist and former City Council sergeant -at-arms who was elected in 2024, succeeding Donna Bullock. His priorities include access to mental health services, promoting education, fair access to employment opportunities, and ensuring public safety. He has recently criticized ICE and tried to limit smoke shops and “questionable” businesses in his district.
Sierra McNeil (Democrat)
McNeil is a social worker who until recently was director of workforce development at the Philadelphia Mental Health Care Corporation. Her platform calls for improving access to behavioral healthcare, funding the Whole Home Repairs Program, helping residents switch to electric appliances and install solar, boosting school funding, increasing the minimum wage, expanding crisis response teams, restricting ICE and building more bike lanes. She’s endorsed by the Working Families Party. She criticized Harris for supporting several Republican bills, including measures to restrict undocumented immigrants from working in Pa. Harris called that a “rookie mistake.”
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200th District
Rep. Chris Rabb is not seeking reelection while he runs for the 3rd Congressional District seat.
Deshawnda Williams (Democrat)
Williams is a pastor and a consultant providing life coaching, clinical supervision and mental health counseling. She served on the city’s Commission on Faith-Based and Interfaith Affairs and ran for City Council in 2023. She supports higher living wages, small business development and job training support, more affordable housing to prevent displacement, expanded mental health service access in underserved areas, health equity policies that “close the gap for Black and Brown communities,” housing-first solutions to homelessness, and voter protection, among other issues.
Chris Johnson (Democrat)
Johnson is director of state and federal government relations for Philadelphia’s school district, and previously worked for U.S. Sen. Bob Casey and Pa. House Speaker Joanna McClinton. His priorities include more funding for schools, transit and road safety projects, a higher minimum wage, better consumer protection laws, pressuring utility companies to lower energy costs, stronger tenant protections and more clean energy programs. He’s endorsed by Rabb, Mayor Cherelle Parker, the Philadelphia Democratic Party, the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, and SEIU 32BJ.
Qasim Rashad (Democrat)
Rashad owns a company that installs telecommunications systems and is Amir (board chair) of the United Muslim Masjid of Philadelphia. He was previously a regional rail conductor for SEPTA, the Chestnut Hill Local reported. As a legislator he would work to enhance business corridors in Mt. Airy and Chestnut Hill, obtain funding for public school operations and building repairs, and shape legislation on workforce development.
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The uncontested races:
- 10th District — Amen Brown (Democrat, incumbent)
- 172nd District — Sean Dougherty (Democrat, incumbent)
- 174th District — Ed Neilson (Democrat, incumbent)
- 175th District — MaryLouise Isaacson (Democrat, incumbent)
- 179th District — Jason Dawkins (Democrat, incumbent)
- 180th District — Jose Giral (Democrat, incumbent)
- 181st District — Malcolm Kenyatta (Democrat, incumbent)
- 182nd District — Ben Waxman (Democrat, incumbent)
- 184th District — Elizabeth Fiedler (Democrat, incumbent)
- 186th District — Jordan Harris (Democrat, incumbent)
- 188th District — Rick Krajewski (Democrat, incumbent)
- 190th District — Roni Green (Democrat, incumbent)
- 191st District — Joanna McClinton (Democrat, incumbent)
- 194th District — Tarik Khan (Democrat, incumbent)
- 197th District — Danilo Burgos (Democrat, incumbent)
- 198th District — Darisha Parker (Democrat, incumbent)
- 201st District — Andre Carroll (Democrat, incumbent)
- 202nd District — Jared Solomon (Democrat, incumbent)
- 203rd District — Anthony Bellmon (Democrat, incumbent)
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Committeepersons
Registered Democrats and Republicans will see a place to vote for members of their respective parties’ state committees and, for many voters, their city ward committees.
Committeepersons are basically the political parties’ boots on the ground. They help direct money raised by the party, make endorsements, and get out the vote. It’s a low-profile position but can be locally powerful. Sometimes there aren’t enough candidates to fill all needed committeeperson positions — you can always enter a write-in.
You can see your candidate options on your mail ballot, by looking up the sample ballot for your address, or by checking the full list posted by the City Commissioners office.
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