GOP Looking For A Few Good Mayoral Candidates

Philadelphia - Political talk fills the papers and airwaves in the City of Brotherly Love these days.
Most of the yowling and yammering at the moment has to do with the growing confidence the Democrats are feeling in the statewide elections coming in November.
While the bright hope lies with Republican Senator Rick Santorum rapidly closing the once double-digit lead of his Democratic challenger, Pennsylvania Treasurer Bob Casey, down to low single digits, most of the other Republican incumbents in this area are finding themselves in the fight of their political lives.
The general election in the fall will be followed by an important city primary election in spring. In most cases, in most races, it will be without doubt the winner of the May Democratic primary who will win the city office in the fall general election.
The last Republican Mayor in Philadelphia, Bernard Samuel, was first elected in 1944 and served until 1952. Democrats have been elected to that office ever since.
When City Council had a full body of 17 members serving in 2005, 14 members were Democrats. Three members, all Democrats, are now gone from their offices. When special elections are held in November three more Democrats are virtually guaranteed election, though Republicans note disgraced City Councilman Rick Mariano's seat was Republican before he came along.
For most observers' money, if the council numbers change at all next year it would likely change in the Democrats' favor not the Republicans.
Talks with Republican leadership in the city confirm the difficulty of finding Republicans willing to run for office in Philadelphia. The effort required to even get on the ballot, never mind winning, is so enormous most people who even think about running Republican are intimidated and give up the idea.
Local Republican Party Counsel Michael Meehan claims there are "two or three people" who have spoken with him about running as GOP candidates for mayor.
When talking with GOP ward leaders, a few Republican names come up as "interested" in the mayoral race. They include Councilman Frank Rizzo, Al Taubenberger, President of the Greater Northeast Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, and the Republican candidate for City Controller in 2005 Hillel Levinson.
There is also some talk of the Republican Party cross-endorsing Democratic Congressman and Democratic Party Chairman Bob Brady if he throws his hat in the mayoral ring.
Meehan says Rizzo has told him he has "some interest" in running.
Many Republicans hope that when the crowded field in the Democratic primary race shakes out one of the candidates on that side will come over and run Republican in the general election in November 2007.
That's what Rizzo's father, Frank Rizzo Sr., did a decade ago.J
oe DeFelice is an attorney from Mayfair who worked on John Perzel's campaign.DeFelice wants to see the apparent Democratic Mayoral hopeful and powerful union leader John Dougherty run for Mayor on the Republican ticket:"I'm open to other candidates, but Dougherty believes in family values and supports our neighborhoods," DeFelice asserts. "He often says that 'The only way to not forget where you come from is not to leave.' And I strongly believe in that too. I want my kids and my kids' kids to able to grow up and live here."
Meehan is more enthused about Republican chances in the at-large council seats where, he says, at least "eight to 12 people" have spoken to him about running for the seat.
Meehan also notes there is some talk about 6th District Councilwoman Joan Krajewski retiring. He believes if that happens the Republicans could run a strong candidate in that area.
Meehan acknowledges the difficulty of running Republican in City Council elections in most of the city. In many cases just getting enough signatures on the nominating petition to get on the ballot can be a huge challenge."In some districts there are only 3,000 registered Republicans," Meehan remarked. "We understand the plight of some of these candidates."
David C. Thomsen is the Republican Chairman in the 15th Ward. This past year he assisted in an effort to get Temple graduate David Corbett on the ballot to run against Frank Oliver in the 195th legislative district. The campaign came close to getting 300 signatures, but wasn't near enough."
Third parties get three or four months to gather signatures. We only get three weeks." Thomsen complained.
David Oh is the GOP Ward Leader in the 3rd Ward and a former candidate for City Council at-large in 2003. He's a former Assistant District Attorney and served in the U.S. Army Special Forces. He's now an employment attorney in his own law practice.
Oh is currently exploring another run for an at-large seat in 2007.
"I find that the barrier that arises is that people don't want to do this because they feel that everything is against them," he mused. "You've really got to want to run. You have to have a reason to run, present yourself, and be sincere about it."
I believe this would be a better city if people wouldn't discount the Republican Party. It would be a good city if there was strong competition between the parties."
Matt Wolfe is a Republican ward leader in University City and a Center City attorney.
He's optimistic about a 150 percent increase in Republican registrations in his 27th ward and attributes it to having better ward leaders in place.Still, he admits, "We are hopeful we will get enough signatures to run somebody against [Councilwoman] Jannie Blackwell. If we do run somebody it will be difficult to win."
Wolfe acknowledges getting enough signatures just to get on a the ballot is difficult, and a Republican candidate for mayor is likely going to be merely an exercise in party building next year - unless somebody decides to switch parties."
All too often," Wolfe notes, "days before circulating the nominating petition we are sitting around wondering who we are getting to run. That's not a formula for success. Citywide there will be no problem getting anyone to run for City Council-at-large. A few will be disappointed when they don't get the endorsement."
The problems, of course, are not all at the top.
DeFelice works for the Pennsylvania Republican Party in Philadelphia helping ward leaders staff election boards.
He notes, "Most people don't care. There are not enough Republicans in certain areas. And the few who are around you have to get them to want to work, but you need ten signatures to get on the ballot and sometimes there are not even ten Republicans in the division. The only way to get through is to have a big presence in the city and [Republican Gubernatorial Candidate and Hall of Fame football player] Lynn Swann is the man who's going to do it. He's already helping us reach areas we normally wouldn't be able to reach.
DeFelice's message for Philadelphians: "Give us a chance and we'll give you a choice. We won't let the Democrats take your neighborhoods for granted."