Today’s General Election serves as the kick-off for the May 2010 Democratic primary for U.S. Senate. U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, who recently jumped from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party, faces primary challenges from four candidates. Former U.S. Rep. Pat Toomey, who almost unseated Specter in a Republican primary in 2004, is expected to be his party’s nominee for the November 2010 General Election. Who will win the Democratic Primary?
Click here to go to Philly.com's politics page.
- Poll: Who will win the Democratic Primary? (25 votes)
Today’s General Election serves as the kick-off for the May 2010 Republican and Democratic primaries for governor. With the governor’s post open next year, which candidate will prevail in the November 2010 General Election?
Click here to go to Philly.com's politics page.
Here's a funny tidbit:
The party spot for Republican District Attorney candidate Michael Untermeyer tonight? The Dark Horse Pub on 2nd Street near Pine.
PhillyClout contributor Bob Warner tells us that the city's election court is poised to hear a motion to keep the polls open late tonight, due to the SEPTA strike. We'll update when we know the outcome.
UPDATE 12:05 p.m.: District Attorney Seth Williams is petitioning the court for the extension, along with others. Here's a press release from his campaign:
Event: Seth Williams, Democratic candidate for Philadelphia District Attorney, will speak to reporters at 1 PM today, Election Day, November 3, 2009, about his petition to extend Philadelphia’s polling hours until 9 PM due to the SEPTA strike.
Place: Laborers International Union of North America Local No 332
1310 Wallace Street, Philadelphia
Time: 1 PM
Mayor Nutter just sent the following email to his campaign mailing list:
Dear Friend,
Today, Tuesday, November 3rd, is Election Day and Philadelphians will make very important choices for the future of our city and state. I urge you to join me today by voting for Seth Williams for District Attorney, Alan Butkovitz for City Controller, Jack Panella for Supreme Court Justice and the entire slate of Democratic judicial candidates.
Public safety in Philadelphia is one of my highest priorities and I know that, as District Attorney, Seth Williams will be an important and effective partner in our fight against illegal guns and violent crime.
In his first term as City Controller, Alan Butkovitz has proven himself to be an independent voice for Philadelphia taxpayers by identifying millions of dollars in savings and increased revenue for our city.
Judge Jack Panella has almost two decades of experience on the bench. His integrity and dedication to judicial ethics and accountability make him the best choice for Justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
This just in from the press office:
MAYOR NUTTER APPOINTS PATRICIA ENRIGHT TO DIRECT CITY’S CENSUS EFFORT
Philly Counts Aims to Boost Awareness, Participation
Philadelphia, November 3, 2009 – Today Mayor Michael A. Nutter announced the appointment of Patricia Enright to serve as Executive Director of Philly Counts, the City of Philadelphia’s campaign to raise awareness of and participation in the 2010 Census, particularly in the city’s hardest to count communities.
“The 2010 Census will have far reaching implications for Philadelphia and I am excited that Tricia has agreed to take on the enormous responsibility of spearheading our efforts,” Nutter said. “She brings the experience, energy and creativity necessary to ensure that every Philadelphian understands just how important it is to be counted.”
As Executive Director of Philly Counts, Enright will coordinate census outreach activities across City Government agencies and guide the outreach work to be performed by the campaign’s various Complete Count Committees. Through these committees, which will be led by elected, non-profit, religious, business, media and other community leaders, Enright will spearhead a comprehensive awareness and outreach campaign designed to encourage all Philadelphians to be counted. As private dollars are raised to support Philly Counts’s activities, the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania will act as its fiscal agent.
We'd be remiss if we didn't mention that the big race today is across the river, where New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine, a Democrat, is in a dead heat with his Republican challenger Chris Christie. A recent poll showed that the race was too close to call.
President Obama appeared in Newark Sunday to rally support for Corzine.
For more on the race, here’s a recent Daily News story on the match up.
A less talked about race today is the fight for the state Supreme Court between Republican Joan Orie Melvin and Democrat Jack Panella. If you’ve missed it, this has been one hell of a scuffle.
Check out this John Baer column on the race. He questions the state practice of electing judges, and suggests that random selection may work as well.
An excerpt:
Pennsylvania, no surprise, is among only a handful of states with partisan judicial elections at all levels.
The others? Such progressive giants as Alabama, Louisiana, Illinois, Texas and West Virginia, the state with the lowest percentage of college grads in the nation.
As for those mewling and whining, "Oh, we want to keep our vote"? Really, do you? Then why does turnout in judicial elections run around minus-4 percent?
After almost 20 years in office, District Attorney Lynne Abraham – one of the city’s top female elected officials – is stepping down at the end of her term this year. Today two men are vying to fill her shoes.
Democratic candidate Seth Williams, 42, won the tough five-way Democratic primary for DA. The former prosecutor made a strong showing when he tried to unseat Abraham four years ago. He also served a two-year stint as the city inspector general under Mayor Street.
Williams is up against Michael Untermeyer, 58, a former assistant district attorney and state deputy attorney general. He ran an unsuccessful race two years ago in the Democratic primary against Sheriff John Green. Untermeyer has pledged tougher sentences for gun crimes. Here’s a recent Daily News profile of Untermeyer.
Williams is overwhelmingly favored to win. Showing that he thinks so too, Williams has already laid out his priorities for the office
Here's a press release we just got from the city on how they're managing the strike.
For Immediate Release:
City Activates Emergency Operations Center
PHILADELPHIA, PA – City of Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter activated the City’s Emergency Operations Center at 5:30 a.m. this morning to monitor and coordinate the City’s planning and response efforts due to SEPTA service interruptions in Philadelphia. Representatives from the Philadelphia Police Department, Philadelphia Fire Department, Streets Department, Licenses and Inspections, Fleet Management, Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management, Philadelphia Parking Authority, Pennsylvania State Police, PennDOT, School District of Philadelphia, Delaware Valley Health Council, Center City District and SEPTA are staffing the EOC.
The following important service information contains useful travel tips to assist riders as Bus, Subway, and Trolley service is discontinued.
SEPTA reports the following services will not run:
Broad Street Line and Broad-Ridge Spur
Market-Frankford Line
All City Transit bus, trolley and trackless trolley routes
Frontier Division bus routes
» More City Activates Emergency Center To Deal with SEPTA Strike
Share your tips
|
Catherine Lucey luceyc@phillynews.com |
Chris Brennan brennac@phillynews.com |
- Attytood
- Philly Gossip
- Philebrity
- Philadelphia Will Do
- The Next Mayor
- Heard in the Hall
- The Daily Examiner
- Phawker
- Suburban Guerilla
- Young Philly Politics
- Hallwatch
- PoliticsPa
- Philly Blog
- The City Room
- Politico
- Drudge Report
- The Huffington Post
- Wonkette
- Eschaton
- Daily Kos
- Choose Judges on Merit
- Blogorrhea
Get it now
- November
- October
- September
- August
- July
- June
- May
- April
- March
- February
- January
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- Budget
- City Council
- City Hall
- DC
- Haikus
- Nutter
- Rendell
- Statehouse
Philly.com Promotions
- News | Sports | Business | What's Happening | Restaurants & Food | Entertainment | Living | Marketplace | Jobs
- Jobs | Cars | Real Estate | Rentals | Marketplace | Celebrations
