Many Philadelphia voters also get to weigh in on competitive state House of Representatives today. State representatives serve districts with about 60,000 residents for two-year terms. In general, the Philly seats turn over rarely, but open seats always become battlegrounds and incumbents frequently face intense challenges.
There are two open seats in today's election. Here are the details:
194th District
Five Democrats are duking it out to take over the 194th Legislative District, where state Rep. Kathy Manderino is set to retire after serving for 18 years. The district includes parts of Philadelphia and Montgomery counties, including East Falls, Roxborough, Wynnefield and Parkside.
Ward leader and union organizer Lou Agre has significant establishment support, including Brady, the city Democratic Committee and a raft of unions. Pam DeLissio, a health-care consultant, has the backing of Manderino and Mayor Nutter.
Josh Cohen, a former staffer for Councilman Curtis Jones Jr., is supported by animal-rights activists and by the Philadelphia Gay News. Carpenter Bill Morris and neighborhood activist Keith Newman are also in the mix.
Running unopposed in the Republican primary is Tim Downey, and Hugh Giordano is running as a Green Party candidate.
195th District
State Rep. Frank Oliver, who has served 19 two-year terms, decided to step down at the end of this year in the 195th District, which covers parts of North Philadelphia, Fairmount and Mantua.
Oliver's longtime aide, Michelle Brownlee, is fighting hard for the job and successfully knocked most of her opponents off the ballot through petition challenges. Her supporters include Councilmen Darrell Clarke and Bill Greenlee. But
Brownlee still has to beat political consultant Anthony Ingargiola, who has the backing of former boss District Attorney Seth Williams.
Republican candidate James Kernaghan is running unopposed.
For more information on other competitive state house races, click here.